Fall or Fly
by WikketKrikket
Summary: Sequel to AfI, WyG. Az is long since gone, but those she left behind still carry on. The friends she had and the children that have grown up have adventures of their own to follow: pity it's easier said then done!
1. Sorrow

A/N: Well, it seems a _dreadfully _long time since I finished **Wherever you Go**, but here we are, at last- **Fall or Fly**, Az's last fic; and, as you will shortly see, her last day. This is going to be a shorter fic then the rest- I'm looking at 10 relatively small chapters, and as always, I cannot promise anything close to regular updates. I'll do my best, though! I'm willing to admit I haven't planned this one as well as I should, but… Well, it's similar to **WyG **in style, so I think I can play it by ear a little… Well, shimasho! (Let's do it)

Disclaimer: Same old, same old.

Now then. Here we are at the beginning of the end, so lets begin with an ending. Enjoy- and please, forgive me… _(Sweatdrop)_

Fall or Fly

Prologue- Sorrow

The last bar swung it's way out to a fade, a punctuated note, a wail of the horns. As the presenter began to witter, Seto could bear no more, and turned the radio off. Jazz was a music he'd only begun to appreciate once she was gone, once he could not share it with her. Perhaps that's why he liked to fill the house with the howling syncopated rhythms. But, sometimes, days like today, it sent him spiralling out of control, and he could not help but head into that room; the room with the fantasy doors. The room that missed her as much as he did. He sank into the battered leather sofa that just about stood there, remembering the times they had shared upon it, from the days when she had been so ill, to when she would sit and play music, and fall asleep there again, her hand in his. Where she had held their daughter for all that time. Where she had held him, and smiled. He reached beneath it, and his hands pulled on a forgotten world that his head would not willingly travel to. He lifted it up with a cautious reverence, laying it on the small table before him. He did not want to see, hear, think, feel, anymore, but it could not be helped. He painfully examined the contents of the box.

It was a simple box, made of cardboard, dishevelled, and by no stretch of the imagination large. Yet it contained every possession Azreal had left behind, all the things Maya and Mokuba assumed he had destroyed; all the things he had locked away in the hope the memories would follow. It was strange how someone who had been so important to him had left so little behind. Story of his life, really. He took each item out carefully and individually, his eyes and face betraying nothing as he studied them. There were a few folded pieces of clothing, a handful of prize CDs- most others having been handed to Mokuba somewhere along the line- and other odd items that were more memories then physical objects. And, buried right at the bottom…

A photograph. Seto pulled it out, straightening the bent corners. Azreal had hated having her photo taken, that's why there were so few of them, but, as he could see, this one had been special. It was a completely natural photograph, taken on the sly by Azreal's father. He had caught them at their happiest- in the middle of a water fight with Mokuba on that first camping trip. They'd been barely sixteen then. Only hours before that historic trip to Wherever, when he'd believed her to be dead the first time.

He rubbed a hand over his eyes, and it came away wet. He watched with something akin to fascination as the salty water ran over his fingers and palm. Could they really be his? After all this time? Pathetic. He rubbed his face a final time, and, in a few fluid movements, the box was hidden away again.

It is said that everyone in the world can be happy. And maybe, for people that say such things, it's true. But he had tried happiness, and it hadn't worked.

And there was no room in his life for things that didn't work.

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_Az lay on the bed, flicking idly the envelope in her hands. She stared at it for a moment, and then nodded to herself; building up her resolution again. There was nothing more she could do now._

_Swinging her legs from the bed, she sat up, running a hand through her hair. She'd never worried too much about it, however, and there was no point in starting now. She allowed herself a small smile. It had been such a lovely day. The weather had been perfect, her friends, as she had visited them each in turn, had been happy and unsuspecting; her music students had been promising. Even Seto had managed to get home from work in time to eat a meal with her, although he was working again now. It had been a good day, long and peaceful and relaxing to her tired soul, as the sun had slowly wandered it's way across an autumn sky. She had even managed to find time to finish her book. Which meant there was only one more, slightly less pleasant, thing to do. She pulled a jacket from the wardrobe, putting the letter into the pocket, and wandered down the hallway of the cavernous mansion to the room where her husband was tapping away at a memo that had been causing him some difficulty. He was so absorbed, he did not even notice her entrance, and did not acknowledge her until she stood behind him, crouching slightly to wrap her arms around his shoulders. They were stiff, tense; although he tried to relax them slightly on her contact._

_"Hello." Seto said, distractedly._

_"Hey. Any luck?" She asked, sympathetically._

_"Not really… I think I'm going to be at this for a while." He sighed deeply. "I'm sorry."_

_"Don't worry." Az smiled. "I'm going to go bother your brother, okay?"_

_Seto glanced at the clock. "Now?" He asked, curiously._

_"Yes." Az answered, trying to keep her tone light. "He borrowed a CD I'd rather like back… Besides, I'm bored. Now, Seto… if Maya wakes up with that nightmare again while I'm out, don't just leave her. She'll end up in counselling at this rate!" _

_Seto chuckled slightly, nodding, and got on with what he was trying to do. Kissing him lightly on the spot near his ear that she had long ago discovered he was quite sensitive at, she released him and quietly made her way towards the door, not wanting to cause him anymore unnecessary grief._

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_Mokuba was sitting, quite comfortably, on the old sofa watching a film; while trying to write up a proposal on his knees. This was a method of working that Seto would actively discourage, if he knew about it. Mokuba, on the other hand, found it quite helpful. Well, he was in the R&D department. Right now, he was working on all the ins and outs of the 'Final Fantasy' style virtual reality game Seto had made for Az many years ago being sold or being used to make an original game; and Kaiba Corp's first release into the video game market. He knew it could outsell anything currently being produced, but would it be worth it? A new market brought new competition… _

_The doorbell rang suddenly, and, laying the work down on the sofa, he went to open it to Anna. This did not surprise him. Once upon a time, Anna had shared this flat with one Kaho Bijou, and sometimes it almost seemed as though she lived there still. At any rate, a visit from his sister-in-law was rarely a chore, and he smiled on seeing her._

_"Hello." He said warmly, allowing her in. "I didn't think you were going to show up tonight."_

_Anna shrugged, heading for the living room. "Well, you know. Things came up." She sat down carefully next to the papers, picking them up. Ever since she had married Seto, and even before, she'd been quite closely involved with the company and it's dealings, and had given some invaluable advice- and ideas- over the years, although she couldn't make head nor tail of anything too technical. She scanned the sheets before her, looking mildly confused, but then stopped; finally recognising the subject matter, and turned to grin at him._

_"I remember this." She said, happily. "That was the game Seto made for us, wasn't it? After we'd been going out a year, I think. It had a big water boss at the end… That was so much fun!" She smiled._

_"Yup." Mokuba agreed, sitting beside her. "And now we're going to flog all your 'priceless' memories for a _far_ smaller sum. About the cost of a city or two should do it."_

_Anna laughed wryly. "You're getting as bad as Seto."_

_"Don't scare me." Anna said nothing in reply, and played with something in her pocket. She didn't seem about to divulge anything, so, in the end, Mokuba felt forced to prompt her. "So, what's up?"_

_"I need you to do a favour for me." Anna said, smiling weakly at him. She pulled a letter from her pocket, and worried the corner. "I want you to give this to Maya."_

_"What?" Mokuba blinked, bewildered, as she pushed it into his hands. "Ann, she's not even two yet- I hardly think she can read, however smart she is. Besides, why can't you give it to her?"_

_"I never said give it to her _now_. But… when she's older. When you think the time is right, I guess."_

_"Anna…" Mokuba said, concerned now. "You're scaring me. What's happening? What's all this about?"_

_She said nothing. He realised she was crying, and felt like he was a little kid again. He hated to see her cry. She had finally seemed to have got better…_

_"Ann…?"_

_"Sorry." She said, quietly, wiping her eyes. "I shouldn't cry. I've been so lucky." _

_"What?"_

_"Just promise me you'll give it to her, please?" Anna begged. "And… you'll take care of her? And of Seto?"_

_"Of course." Mokuba answered, numbly. "But… Ann…You can't possibly…"_

_"Do you remember when Seto and I went to Wherever, Mokuba?" She asked, quietly. Mokuba nodded. "And… and my muse half was killed off?" Another nod. "It had been draining me for sometime. It took years from me. Plus, muses never live that long anyway, even half-muses…and so, now…"_

_Mokuba bit his lip. "You're being silly." He said, firmly. "How could you know, Ann? You shouldn't worry. What's all this _really_ about, eh?"_

_"Mokuba." She said again, gently. "I know. I feel it, just like the muses do. I mean, I saw it coming… with… with Ellie," She gabbled. "And how tired I've been and how the world has seemed so… grey." She paused slightly, looking almost amused. "I woke up this morning, and I knew. I knew all the times people had asked me 'What would you do if you had one day to live' was finally relevant. It was the oddest feeling…"_

_"What are you talking about…?" Mokuba whispered, distressed._

_"You know." She answered, unnaturally calm._

_"…So this is it?" He asked, shocked. "You're saying you're… dying?"_

_"I think so."_

_"But…" Mokuba protested, weakly. "There must be something we can do, right? I mean, you're not old, or unhealthy or… anything."_

_"No." Anna agreed. "And yet, it's time all the same. Funny old world, isn't it?"_

_"Not the words I'd use." Mokuba said, quietly. "I… I can't believe this…You're dying? What are you going to do?"_

_"Very little, I should imagine." Anna joked, but suddenly hugged her adoptive brother. He hugged her back, although still not able to accept what she was telling her as truth. _

_"No-one should know about their own death." He insisted. "It'd drive you mad…"_

_"Or give you one last shot at making your life worth something." Anna pointed out, choking a little on the words. "I just hope… I…" She trailed off uselessly._

_"Of course you have." Mokuba assured her. "And… and I'll give the letter to Maya, don't worry. I promise. But… are you _really_ sure? I mean, what if… you know, you just woke up this morning, and imagined… maybe you're sick, or something…thinking weird things."_

_"Mokuba…" She pleaded. "Please. Stop." _

_At length, she let go of him, and they sat in reflective silence for a while; until, at last, she left for the final time; and Mokuba was left alone with his disturbing thoughts. Feeling wretched, he did not manage to get any sleep until he convinced himself that she couldn't _possibly _have known, and had only made him believe it through speaking with such conviction. It couldn't be true. That was the only comfort he had that night._

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_Az entered the house quietly, because, unbeknownst to her, it had gotten quite late. The hours were sneaking up on her. She was tired. So tired… she just wanted to crawl into bed. First, though, she went into the room where Maya was sleeping, whispering a goodnight, and eventually, reluctantly, withdrawing. Heading back to the bedroom, she passed the room Seto had been working in, and was surprised to find he was still at it. She went and regained her accustomed position with her arms around him._

_"Still working?" She asked, resting her head on top of his._

_"Clearly." He answered, grumpily. "I need this done by tomorrow." He continued typing as best he could with Az leaning on top of him, irritation at the document and the world in general evident in his entire demeanour. _

_"…I'm going to bed." She said, eventually. "Goodnight, Seto. Don't stay up too late."_

_"No." He responded, not looking up as she left the room. He continued working away for an hour or more, until the night was almost into morning. At last, it was done, and, gratefully, he stood up, stretching. Shutting the computer down, he made his way as quietly as possible along the hallway and into the bedroom, silently getting ready for bed. Az lay sleeping on the bed, and he did not want to wake her._

_Although Seto did not make a sound, and slipped gently under the quilt, she still stirred slightly, rolling over a little so her body lay close to his, and, welcoming the intimacy, he draped his arm across her waist, pulling her close. Closing his eyes, feeling sleep come upon him, he whispered to his sleeping wife and love that he was sorry, meaning for working so long, for being so irritable, and for every other short coming over the last few weeks he'd been working on this project. Her only response was to sigh in her sleep, and he was soon asleep to, enjoying the warmth of having her so very close to him. At that moment, the troubles of tomorrow were forgotten, forgiven._

_He had slipped quietly into the room as she had slept. By the time he woke up the following morning, she had quietly slipped away._

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Maya woke up once again, groaning. Rolling over to look at the luminous numbers ticking over on her alarm clock, she saw it was a time not designed to be seen by anything other then owls and certain breeds of rabbit. She knew what had woken her, of course. That dream, again. The nightmare she'd had every so often ever since she could remember. She was tempted to believe it was some sort of far distant memory, because she knew the woman in it was her mom. She knew it, somehow; but she'd like to believe it was just a dream. In the dream, she felt safe in the arms of her mom, but then… there was panic, chaos, and a small, dark space, where she was crying and crying but no-one came. All these years, and still, no-one came. It was a horrible dream, unnatural and unfeeling, and made her shiver now even though she was far too old for such things. She closed her eyes and gradually willed herself back into sleep. After all, tomorrow was another day. Time did not stand still. Days, weeks, years all rolled on by. You had to live them while you had the chance.

And that could not be done when suffering from sleep deprivation.

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A/N: Well, can you believe it? I _actually _killed her off this time. _(Cry) _I'm sorry… Hopefully, my reasons will become clear as we follow the story of Maya, Michael, Yami; and all those Az has left behind. Of course, we will be seeing so much of her via flashbacks, it'll hardly make a difference! _(Sweatdrop) _I know this short prologue leaves a lot to be answered, but I'm getting to it, I promise- and it won't all be angst-y! So! It's that time again! Just who _are _Michael and Yami? What kind of person is Maya? Who was Ellie? What has become of Seto, Mokuba, and all the rest? And how will they react to a school trip to take place on what used to be a rather deadly island…? Please join me **Fall or Fly Chapter One- Song**! I'm quite excited, actually. I've been planning this fic for so long, it's nice to see it finally coming to something, even though it's changed a lot and a lot's been cut. Well, whatever. Hope to see you soon!


	2. Song

A/N: …Let's just hope they're not all this long! _(Sweatdrop) _Actually, I get the feeling they'll all either be really long or really short; but I guess we'll find out. So, without further ado, Chapter One! Which I promised would be less angsty but actually isn't! Oops…

Disclaimer: I STILL don't own anything.

One- Song

The dream did not come again that night, and, thankfully, she was able to sink into a calm and deep sleep. So deep, in fact, that Maya was not woken up by her alarm clock. She woke up about forty-five minutes later, and glanced at it in shock before erupting from the bed. She couldn't believe this had happened. Again.

Maya was lucky in that she could look like she had spent a long time over her appearance without actually having done it. Within three minutes, she was washed and dressed in the white shirt, blue blazer and black trousers that were her school uniform; her hair brushed and straight as a pole. She glanced quickly at her reflection, hard blue eyes looking over uniform and long dark brown hair sceptically. She looked acceptable, and that was all Maya ever asked, not one to go in for pampering and preening; but one who wanted to be seen as exactly who and what she was. She grabbed her bag, thankfully prepared the night before, and dashed out of her room and down the stairs. Mokuba was in the kitchen, and seemed surprised to see her.

"Good morning." He offered, cheerily, following her out into the hall. "I figured you'd left early, but here you are! You're going to be late _for sure _this time!"

Maya snorted, hastily digging some rollerblades out of the cupboard close to the front door. She knew exactly why her uncle- although he hated to be called that- was so happy that she may be late. It was an age old gamble. "I'll make it." She said, confidently.

"Bet you won't." Mokuba answered. "If you're late, you're making dinner tonight."

"Fine." Maya grinned at the challenge. It may have been unusual, but this was the way all the chores were divided in their house. It was a lot more fun then a boring old rota. "But you'd better hurry to. Remember, if you're late to work, Dad says you're doing all the dishes after as well. And talk to Serenity." She put in, as a parting shot. She swung the door open and set off at speed, yelling a farewell over her shoulder as Mokuba cursed and heading out back, where his own transport was waiting.

They both convinced themselves they'd make it. Their pride was at stake.

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As usual, the Wheeler house was in chaos, and Mai, as the only one _not _running late, sat calmly in the middle of it all, waiting for them to be ready to leave. She tapped her fingers, a little bored. They had such a large family, this sort of feeling should have been prevented. Ah well- Joey would almost certainly enter in a mad panic at any moment.

A second or two later, he came into the kitchen, not in a mad panic, but triumphant.

"Found them." He grinned, holding up his keys. "I'll be off, then."

"Don't forget I'll be late home tonight. Give the kids something to eat, I'll be meeting you at the concert." Mai yelled at him, knowing that it probably wouldn't be anything very nutritious. Still, Michael, her oldest, would surely get them all organised. If he could organise himself. Which, at the moment, didn't seem to be very likely. He stormed in the kitchen, saying goodbye to his father as they passed in the hall. Mai raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're going to be _very_ late if you don't go now." She pointed out, as Wren yelled from the hall that they were ready.

"I can't go yet." Michael protested. "My English book- _To Kill a Mockingbird_- is gone from my room! And they'll kill _me _if I don't have it!"

Mai sighed, but inside was quite happy about the situation. Solving mysteries…this was the most fun part of motherhood. She beckoned to him, and took him out into the hall, where the others were waiting for a lift to go to their elementary school. They stood in the hall like a police line- Wren, her second child, who wasn't far off thirteen; then the ten year old twins, Ben and John; and finally, the youngest, Lisa, who was seven. Along with the frowning Michael, that made five. It always surprised her to see how many there were.

"Alright," she said, as if she didn't already know who it was. "Who has his book?"

Silence. Right.

"We're not leaving till it's given back. Then you'll all be late for school and I'll be late to work. So…" She turned to her oldest daughter. "Wren, give it back."

She scowled, but dug the book out of her bag and gave it back to him. "I only wanted to read it." She said, defensively. "My school studies such _rubbish_." She added, venomously.

Michael shrugged. "Hey, you're welcome to it. I just need it back for school! Ask next time, okay?"

"Fine." Wren grumbled, but relieved her brother had not been madder.

"Speaking of school…" Mai prompted calmly. "Yours has already started."

Michael groaned, before slipping on some shoes and tearing out of the door. It was a good job they didn't live far from it; and he was a fast runner. Perhaps he could make it within the leeway they were given to reach their form rooms. The gamer in him was willing to bet he could as he pounded up the road.

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Yami was sitting, quite happily, eating breakfast and listening to the news on the radio when her father came in. He smiled at seeing her there.

"Good morning." He said, warmly, pouring himself a drink before joining her at the table. "You all ready for today?"

Yami nodded. "Yeah. I've still got a while yet, though… it's going to be an easier day, because of the show rehearsals."

"I'm looking forward to it." Yugi answered, nodding to show he had not forgotten.

"Mom's done a great job getting the dances sorted." Yami confessed, cheerily. "I was kinda worried it would be embarrassing at first, but everyone thinks she's awesome."

Yugi chuckled a little. "She is, most of the time. Just don't tell them how bad her snoring is." He checked his watch, and then looked up at her. "You think you've got time to help me get the shop open before you go?"

"Sure." Yami shrugged, standing up. "But there's a condition." She put in, as an afterthought. "I want you to tell me _why _you named me Yami. It's driving me _mental_!"

"I keep telling you." Yugi smirked, and she sat firmly back down. "You're named after an old friend of mine."

Yami sighed noisily. "Dad…" She protested, weakly. "Come on, not these old stories again… What was this guy _really _like?"

"Well…He was everything you'd expect a Pharaoh to be."

"Dad…"

Yugi sighed, giving up. "Fine. He was very brave, very strong; reckless, but loyal. He had a _very _strong sense of right or wrong. He did by the end, anyway. At first he would just-"

"Send anyone's mind to the Shadow Game with a penalty game?" Yami said, exasperated. "Oh, I give up…" She stood, and went into the shop regardless of how she had said she wouldn't. Yugi watched her go in a mixture of amusement, sadness, and bewilderment. When she had been younger, she had believed all his stories. But now… Téa appeared behind him, and immediately guessed which age old conversation had passed.

"Does she _still _not believe you?" She asked, her expression similar to Yugi's own.

"Not a chance." He couldn't help but smirk. "So. Do you _still _think telling the truth was the best idea?"

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The kids were finally heading off for school, at Domino High- or Elementary- just as they themselves once had. Somehow, they had all become adults without noticing, settled down, had families; and left their past adventures back there, in the past. Back then, it had seemed none of them would have been able to have a normal life, but they did. Of course, for a long time, none of them could get used to that idea- and it had taken the weirdest of them all to kick things off.

Anna, of course, wasn't even human. Her mother was a muse, and so she had been something in between; half-and-half, until her muse half was killed off. Then, without anyone noticing a change, she had perhaps been half a person. She certainly only lived half a life, taken before her time. But _what_ a life it had been, all the same. Having finished school; staying on for the sixth form, her work had come in the form of the only real talent she loved- her music. She had got some form of official qualification at University, but had ended up working for the Tokyo Music Council, which meant teaching saxophone at several different schools. She also took on students in the evening, and occasionally performed at Jazz houses, to help pay her share in the flat she shared with Kaho Bijou. Then came the time of Mokuba's seventeenth birthday, and the evening Seto _finally _asked her that most sacred of questions, and she answered yes. It was agreed after they were married that they never saw the two of them happier. It was a good time for them both- even in the bad ones. They had a single child together, who Anna _insisted _on calling Maya, and that was perhaps some comfort when she died a little over two years later. The only other comfort they had was what Anna had told Mokuba before she left him that final night- that she was happy. That was all anyone could hope for, really. Fourteen years later, the world had moved on somewhat; and the group couldn't help but occasionally wonder if she was laughing at them all as they approached middle-age.

Seto didn't laugh, of course, not anymore. Not that he had ever been much of a chortler. Losing Anna had been hard for him, of course. At one time, he'd been quite involved with her friends- it came as part of the marriage, perhaps- but any alliance had been lost along with her. He didn't seem to hold any sort of opinion about any of them, so they didn't see much of him nowadays. He just got on with life, and with his work, in the same way he always had.

Mokuba, at least, was a little more hopeful. Not too long after his brother had got married, he'd moved out, into a certain little flat not too far away. He'd somehow ended up back where he'd started, after Anna had gone, to help his brother out- and had never left. But that didn't matter to him too much; it didn't stop him enjoying life. He was as optimistic as he had always been, a good influence on his brother and on his niece who he'd practically raised himself. Still, now into his mid-thirties, he couldn't help but want to settle down himself. He knew exactly who with, to. Serenity Wheeler, his so-called 'childhood sweetheart', was the woman he wanted to be with. Unfortunately, he didn't feel he could do that until Seto came out of his shell a little- and that might not be for a while longer yet. Thankfully, she was willing to wait. He'd got lucky.

In fact, just about everyone of them thought that; having ended up with the people that fate had somehow tied together around the Items. Seto and Anna may have been the first to get married; but this was soon followed by the surprising match of Duke- who had made a fortune by inventing new gambling games, and Kaho- who ended up in a position for the UN shortly after leaving school to help improve Muse/Human relations. Millierie, who had finally revealed the Muses to the leaders, was only too happy about this. It was getting close to two decades of planning now, but it seemed a solution- and a way to announce the existence of another species to the human race- was finally drawing near. With the mind wipes having been abolished almost three years ago, it was finally starting to filter through. Kaho was happy with her job and with her life, and although she and Duke had decided not to have children at all, she did not feel any less fulfilled for it. The flat she had once shared with Az, however, was not abandoned when she left- for a while, Mokuba filled it. She was glad not to see it go.

It seemed, after these two unlikely marriages- because no-one had thought Seto would ever be brave enough to ask, or that Duke would settle down- everyone was ready for marriage. Yugi and Téa were next, having a child together not long after Anna; naming her 'Yami' after an old friend of theirs. Not that she believed them. Still, the three were happy in their small and select family, living and working in the shop Yugi's Grandfather had left to him, Téa working as a pediatric nurse. His glory days were somewhat faded now, and his life fairly quiet, but Yugi was happy- particularly when an old rival or a new fanatic showed up for a duel. They were so hard to find nowadays… Sometimes, Joey would bring his deck over, and they'd play just like they had back in their teens, for fun, before the game got _way _too serious and too dangerous. Téa found this quite exasperating, thinking they were far too old for that sort of thing, but not daring to try and change them. Mai, however, was quite supportive; though she had little time to play anymore.

The reason for Mai's busyness was probably from the mix of home and family life. When the dueling thing hadn't worked out, she had adapted easily enough into a modeling career. Joey still had most of those pictures, claiming they were mind-blowingly sexy. She usually then grumbled something about how it wasn't the case anymore, with premature wrinkles and stretch marks; to which he always replied it was her sexiness that had got her the stretch marks in the first place; which, unsurprisingly, didn't help much. Either way, after a reasonably successful modeling career, Mai got rather fed up of having to constantly watch what she was eating, and resigned from the catwalk. For a few short months, she ate what ever she wanted, became what she considered hideously overweight, and, horrified, managed to slim down to a more friendly weight. In amongst all this, she had became established designing clothes for a label, and eventually, for her own. Nowadays, she had her own company and a small team of people working for her. It was good times- she had a job she enjoyed (most of the time) and a family she loved (Again, most of the time). It was odd- Mai had never thought of herself as a motherly person, but it had somehow seemed natural for her and Joey to have a large family; although she still hadn't got her head around having _five _kids. Five! And all, unfortunately, blond. With all the stereotypes flying around, it seemed almost cruel. At any rate, the Wheeler household was a jolly, happy place to be almost to the point of being overwhelming with the seven of them there. Mai had been quite lonely in her earlier life, so she loved having such a full house. Still, it had taken Joey _such _a time to propose, she had almost thought it would never happen. The boy was quite useless… it was still under suspicion if he would _ever _have been brave enough to propose had he not been… prompted. Neither he or Mai knew which of them it was, even now, but Joey still swore he would find out one day. He had made a success of himself to, finishing the 'Angels with Broken Wings' webcomic by his eighteenth birthday, and having made a bomb off the merchandise. And then there was it being upgraded into a printed book format. And more merchandise. And then the anime, which had been good fun- the introduction, or 'previously' section had been voiced by the comic's staff; their little chibis displayed in one corner of the screen. It was always odd hearing Yugi's, or Tristan's, or Anna's, or Téa's, or Joey's, or even Ryou's voices at the start of episodes; or on the DVD extras. There had even been a film, and a game. Joey had made enough to live on, for sure, but even after a resounding success- which was now being considered for a re-release- he had been unable to stop drawing. Somehow, manga had become his life, several series under his belt or in progress. He was a guest at countless conventions, interviewed for magazines and for reviews; and had generally made something of himself. They were all rather proud of him- as Mai often teasingly said, he didn't exactly have the brains to go far.

The only person who had taken longer to propose, naturally, was Ryou. He had married Jenna many years later, and they'd had a daughter named Ruth; who about the same age as Mai's twins. Ryou himself worked as a teacher in a Primary school somewhere in England, and Jenna still wrote songs, but in Japan little was known about them. Anna had always been the one who had kept them all in contact, but when she had passed away, it had gone to pieces. As it was, no-one knew about Ruth, and Ryou did not know that Anna had died at all. It had just been a very long time.

Another person who hadn't been seen for a while was Tristan. He was still alright, getting on with life, but he didn't make much contact. Perhaps, as the only one of 'the gang' who was still single, he felt uncomfortable around families. He hadn't wanted it to be this way. In fact, there had been a woman who he had thought he loved, once. He liked her a lot, and mistakes were made- she became pregnant. He did not see this as a disaster- unexpected, but not insurmountable- and, after the initial surprise, was over the moon. He'd asked her to marry him then, to settle down, to build a life together. She had thrown it back in his face; blaming him alone for a pregnancy she did not want, sneering at the idea of wanting to have any sort commitment to him. She didn't want to be tied down by a marriage, a baby, or anything else. Especially not with a _mechanic_; and not even an owner of a business at that. She left him then, and he saw no more of her. He didn't know if the child was a boy or a girl, it's name, or even if she had decided to have it aborted. It still hurt, in the dead of night. But he wasn't miserable. He continued with his work, as a lowly mechanic, and when the job became empty; he pulled out his motorbike, went down to the old dirt track, and rode; exhilarated. Then, one evening, Mokuba and a very pregnant Anna had turned up with a rather interesting proposal. He ended up in an ad campaign for a bike they'd designed, and it was magnificent. He'd impressed people with the skills shown, and from there, got into the races. He was good, too; and it made him happy. Even so, his happiest times were still in the twighlight, racing around that silent track near his home.

All things considered, and weighed against one another, they'd all turned out alright. Now they just had to hope their kids could do the same.

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Maya zipped quickly along the familiar streets, her blades making wonderful scuffing sounds as they clipped the pavement. She _would _make it, she always did. She slowed her pace a little only when The Milk Bar loomed into view. The café had been there for donkeys, but nowadays, it was owned by her Uncle James and his wife. According to him, his big sister had gone there quite often, which is what had got him interested in the place to begin with. However, it had to be said that the snacks and meals were substantially better, and the drinks still divine. James, now twenty-eight, had been younger then Maya herself now was when his sister had died, but he still liked to be involved with his niece, and was good friends with Mokuba. He was standing outside the shop, looking out for her.

"You're running a little late!" He commented, as she came within earshot.

"I know!" She answered, coming up fast.

"I bet you skipped breakfast." He said, disapprovingly, holding out a warm paper bag for her to snatch on the way past. "Tell me what you think of these- we might sell them! See you later!"

"Thanks!" Maya called back, over shoulder. She couldn't resist slowly slightly to peep inside. Cookies of some sort, and they smelt divine. Sometimes, it _rocked _having an uncle that owned a place like The Milk Bar. She took one out, realising that she really _was _quite hungry. Then it was back to top speed again, somehow eating as she went, to the end that she arrived with school a good minute or two before the bell rang. She smiled, and went inside to put her blades in her locker and put on some more sensible shoes, smirking. Looks like Mokuba would be cooking _and _washing up that night. She had one foot in a shoe when two kids bolted past at high speed. Frowning, she wondered if she actually ought to _do _the prefect job that had been forced on her for once and tell them not to run indoors; but dismissed it just as quickly, getting her other shoe on. Something was going on, and, as she rounded the corner, she found it.

A short girl, with hair that may have been dark red or brown, was standing with an arm above her head, twisted awkwardly, an expression of pain she was obviously fighting to keep off her face just as she fought to get free. Obviously, this was not a position she was holding of her own free will- some thugs that Maya had had dealings with before were holding it there, smiling nastily. Personally, Maya would have kicked them in the gonads, but this girl was apparently a pacifist.

"See, we have a problem." One was explaining, holding her arm. "Now we have to find money from elsewhere. Perhaps you'd odious?"

"Oblige." The girl in the arm-lock, showing surprising gull, corrected. "I think you mean to ask me to oblige. 'Odious' is what you are."

Maya stood, still unnoticed. That probably hadn't been the best thing for her to say, and now the girl got a harder, harsher tug on the arm.

"Is that so? How's about I just break your arm?"

_Well, she did well. _Maya thought, wryly. _I suppose it's time I intervened._

"Yes," She said, sarcastically. "Because that would be so smart."

"Kaiba, stay out of this!" One of the guys said, tiredly. "Go back to your Yankees!"

Maya sighed in irritation. "I'm _not _a Yankee- They just want me to be. Haven't managed to force me yet, though. Do you think you'll do any better?"

Hesitation. This girl was highly sought for in the few remaining gangs of Domino- and when they'd attempted to force her, she'd beaten them all off. Five gangs had gone down, and three arrested. Some thought she was a vigilante, secretly, silently.

"Drop her." Maya said, tiredly. "You know you can't fight me- you couldn't get little kids or the shortest girl in the year." Through lack of other options, he did so, giving it a last vicious squeeze before he did. "Now beat it."

"You could help us." He couldn't resist offering. "We'll give you a good cut."

"Sod off." Maya said, pleasantly, and waited till they'd gone before turning to the girl.

"Hey, thanks." She said, smiling. "I think I maybe got in a little over my head there…"

Maya, looking taller then ever next to the girl, towered over her, angry.

"What the _heck _were you playing at?!"

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Yami had been on her way to her locker when she had seen a sight that always made her blood boil. There was a group of three large thugs from her year group, clustered around some of the younger students, no doubt demanding money, or just scaremongering for the fun of it. Yami should have known to leave well enough alone, but- although she did not know it- she was just like her parents in that her moral fibre worked over time. So, barely sparing a thought for how badly things could go, she strode over to see what she could do.

"Leave them alone!" She yelled, so loudly that at first the thugs jumped at her voice. Only, then they turned to see her, and she hardly looked that threatening. They looked about ready to ignore her, so she strode into their midst. "What do you think you're doing?!" She demanded icily.

"Just stay out of this." The ring leader said, tiredly.

"I will not!" Yami answered, hands on hips now. "I'll tell you what you're doing- you're picking on little kids to make yourselves feel good!" The 'kids' in question were, at that moment, slipping gratefully away. "You don't have enough merit of your own to find yourselves worthy, do you? You have to lord it over others! It's pathetic!"

"What?" A second guy said. "What you call us?!"

"Did." Yami spat at him, irritably. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was mistakes like that. It just made stupid punks like this sound even worse. "At least form proper sentences. Goodness. You sound so stupid!"

"You calling us stupid?"

"Are." Yami said, tiredly. "You mean to say 'Are you calling us stupid'."

"That's it!" The head gorilla snarled, grabbing her arm and wrenching it painfully above her head. Yami shuddered a little, but didn't make a sound. She noted this hadn't been how she had expected things to go. Normally, she could just confuse them with higher level grammar until they went away. These guys hadn't even let her get past the basics. She couldn't help but feel a little out of her depth. She refused to sink to their level and use violence, but there didn't seem to be any other alternative other then getting beaten up. Then again, even if she _tried _violence, she'd lose, and get beaten up anyway. She may as well keep her principles. Even so, she struggled and tried to pull away, hoping for escape. Her height really was a problem at times like these…

"You shouldn't have let them get away." The guy holding her said, obviously annoyed. "See, we have a problem. Now we have to find money from elsewhere. Perhaps you'd odious?"

"Oblige." Yami said, figuring she didn't really have anything left to lose now. "I think you mean to ask me to oblige. 'Odious' is what you are." This earnt her a sharp tug on her arm, sending pain to her shoulder. Perhaps not such a good idea after all… but Yami wasn't very used to dealing with violence. Sure, teasing went on, but the school had very little physical trouble in it. It wasn't a situation you found yourself in often, and she wasn't sure what to do. Perhaps stopping the smart talk would be a good start.

"Is that so? How's about I just break your arm?"

"Yes," Someone said, sarcastically. "Because that would be _so_ smart."

Yami saw a tall girl standing there, with long straight hair; both which she would love to have for herself. She recognised her, of course, everyone would- just as everyone recognised herself- as Maya Kaiba. One of the best singers in the school, but the mouth that voice came from was now pulled into a scowl that even made the boys holding her flinch. Yami smiled sheepishly, wondering if she should say hello.

"Kaiba, stay out of this!" One of the guys said, tiredly. "Go back to your Yankees!"

Maya sighed in irritation. "I'm _not _a Yankee- They just want me to be. Haven't managed to force me yet, though. Do you think you'll do any better?"

Hesitation. Yami had heard the rumours about the Yankees just like everyone else. She could imagine Maya being good at it, to. Luckily, she seemed to have no preference towards joining any such thing. Yami had also heard that she was some sort of crime-fighting vigilante. Now, _that _she could imagine…

"Drop her." Maya said, tiredly. "You know you can't fight me- you couldn't get little kids or the shortest girl in the year." Through lack of other options, he did so, giving her arm a last vicious squeeze before he did. "Now beat it."

"You could help us." He couldn't resist offering. "We'll give you a good cut."

"Sod off." Maya said, pleasantly, and, once they'd gone, turned to Yami.

"Hey, thanks." She said, smiling. "I think I maybe got in a little over my head there…"

Maya, looking taller then ever, towered over her, angry.

"What the _heck _were you playing at?!"

Yami blinked. "Well, there were the two being picked on, and so I-"

"No." Maya overrode. "It's Yami, isn't it?" A nod. "Well, Yami, you shouldn't get involved in fights that are nothing to do with you!"

"You did." Yami pointed out, smugly.

Maya seemed put off for a second, but that was all it was. "Well… I… I could _win_! You're just going to end up beaten to a pulp!"

Yami reddened in embarrassment. "It's not my fault I'm short…" She muttered, feeling humiliated. "I can't help it, anymore then you can help being so tall."

"That wasn't what I meant." Maya said, irritation slipping out of her voice as she spoke. "I just meant you're not a punk like me, you're not used to fighting."

Yami couldn't resist asking. "Then… it's _true_?! With the Yankees?!"

Maya laughed weirdly. "That's for me to know." She winked, and began to walk away. "Just don't do anything stupid again, okay, Motto?"

"Alright." Yami sighed, though she knew that probably wouldn't happen. "Thanks again."

"No problem." Maya said, over her shoulder. "Just don't let people push you around. You're pretty brave, going into fights you can't win. Reckless, but brave. Don't forget- your body may be small, but your heart must be enormous." She snorted, and continued on her way.

Yami stood, looking after in surprise, thinking. The comment had been casual, Maya had barely even considered it, but it had been a very nice thing to say. Yami had never really taken that much notice of her before. Maya was very quiet, most of the time, and seemed quite shy- or independent. The only thing she really knew about her was that their dads had been rivals, and some vague notion that her mom and had been friends with her parents at some point. She wasn't at all sure what kind of person Maya was, but she, naturally curious, was longing to find out.

And, as usual, Michael showed up just as everything finished and the bell rang. The two of them headed to form.

"What's happened?" He asked, out of breath from a mad dash up to the school. "You've got a weird look on your face."

Yami told him the entire story without hesitation. With their parents being such close pals, she and Michael had known each other so long they were practically related. He shook his head in exasperation.

"Kaiba's got a point. You shouldn't try to take on guys bigger then you."

"_Everyone's _bigger then me!" Yami cried in anguish. He couldn't help but laugh, and leant on her head as they waited in a queue outside the room with the rest of the form. He was in a good mood, it seemed, because he had made it after all. She pushed him off, laughing to.

"Ah, that's because both your parents are short. You turned out to be an absolute shrimp. Simple genetics." Michael teased, but then grew serious. "But, you know, you ought to watch out for Kaiba too. They say she took out five gangs of Yankees that wanted her to join."

"She seems nice enough to me. She really helped me out." Yami put in.

"Yeah, but… you know, you never know what she's thinking. And she's so cold. Everyone's scared of her." Michael continued, earnestly.

"Maybe she's shy?" Yami suggested.

"She loves performing!" Michael pointed out. "How could she be _shy_?"

"I guess…" Yami sighed. "It's true that she doesn't seem to have any close friends. I feel a little sorry for her."

Michael laughed. "I shouldn't. She's heiress for one of Japan's most successful businesses. She's rich, smart, beautiful… the girl's got everything!"

Yami raised an eyebrow. "You know as well as I do that you're practically as rich as she is. Maybe even richer."

Michael grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, but _both _my parents have the whole 'rags to riches' thing going on; and Wren's already smarter then me- quite possibly the others, to. I have a lot of expectations on me!"

"Try being the daughter of the 'King of Games'- _and_ barely five foot tall." Yami huffed, theatrically.

"You're five foot _one _if you're an inch." Michael said, reassuringly. "So, you see? Stop worrying about Kaiba and worry about _us_! She's got plenty of people to worry about her, for sure."

The teacher finally walked up to the classroom then, late from a staff meeting and looking flustered.

"We've got a special assembly." She said, hurriedly. "Come on, guys- I'll do the register on the way…"

"What's all this about?" Michael asked, confused.

"Probably the residential this year." Yami smiled. "We're due one, don't you think?"

Yami's theory proved to be correct. The residential trip that year looked to be a good one, she thought. They were actually going to a tiny little island- but not just _any _island. One she had heard a lot about; a lot of which she wasn't sure was true. The tiny little thing had once held a Duel Monsters tournament, hosted by the game's creator, Pegasus. She had become immediately interested at hearing this. She wasn't all that great at duelling, but she knew how to play, which was more then most. It seemed in honour of the island's history, there would be a tournament one night. That sounded like it could be good fun…

Of course, the island was no longer the site of a Battle Royal style contest. Several years ago, when Pegasus- who had been surprisingly old, considering how he looked- had passed away, and with no known relatives, the island had been sold off to a place that made adventure camps for school trips, at sites all over America and now in the Pacific, to. The dorms they would stay in were all inside the castle- an actual castle!- and around the grounds were various challenges and activities. It looked like a lot of fun. Yami looked at Michael, who grinned back, and knew the other was thinking the same thing. It seemed this trip was going to be very popular, if only to miss a week of school. They'd be given free reign to explore for themselves a lot of the time, to. It would be like a video game, but real life- an adventure, but one you couldn't get hurt on. After all, it _was _ a school trip. There had to be certain health and safety measures in place. No-one spared any time considering all the ways that things could go disastrously wrong.

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"This has turned out to be a great day." Michael said, lounging back into his chair. "Assembly all morning and now rehearsals all afternoon!"

"Yeah." Yami agreed, emphatically; as she fiddled with the dials before her. The two were up in a booth at the opposite end of the hall to the stage, in charge of light and sound for the charity concert on that night. It was an important job. Yami knew that the music and dance departments had been working on this concert for months. She'd hate to screw it up… However, it was more a nervous twitch then anything. Michael was very good at this, and Yami was fluent at it. Between the two of them, it would be very hard to make an irredeemable mistake. She relaxed a little and surveyed the hall below them, which had lots of people milling about; some laying chairs out in rows, little groups of dancers practising routines, music students clustered about in groups. Then a teacher showed up, and the rehearsal began- with full tech this time. Michael sat up, taking his position, and as the practise progressed, his fingers practically flew over keys and dials, sometimes just experimenting. As he said to Yami, why just put the lights up and down when you can create entire sequences to match the music and make it look awesome? She had been worried at first, but the results were so spectacular, she didn't have the heart to tell him to stop mucking about; and concentrated on adjusting the sound.

She had spotted Kaiba standing with the rest of the choir in the opening and ending numbers, and joining in one or two or the dance routines. However, her time really came to shine when it was her turn to rehearse her song. It was a very sad, touching song about grieving and moving on, and every time she heard it Yami always almost wanted to cry- but there was just one problem. More precisely, one note, in a verse towards the end of the song. Maya get fluffing it, either hitting it to low or too high and jarring the tune. As it approached, she willed the girl on.

"Come on, Kaiba!" She cheered, quietly. Michael chuckled slightly at her enthusiasm as Maya just missed it again, looking frustrated. Yami sighed in disappointment.

"Oh, come on." He said, kindly. "No-one'll really notice. Anyone who _does_ won't care. I said, don't worry about her." Despite his words, as he listened to the rest of the song, he couldn't help but silently hope she hit that note tonight. He somehow just knew that Kaiba would be miserable if she didn't. And he didn't want that.

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Maya stood in the hall, waiting. Her father had got home early from work that night, but had gone, as usual, straight to his office. She'd seen him at dinner, and asked about the trip then. He'd seemed almost interested until she accidentally mentioned where it was, and he said a flat out no. Now, waiting to go to the concert, she could hear him arguing in a room down the hall about it with Mokuba. She hated hearing the two of them argue. Mokuba was a lot closer to her dad then she was, and the only time they rowed was about her. It was worse then usual this time, to.

"I will not!" Her father thundered. "Absolutely not! That place is a _death trap_! Or do you not _remember _what we went through on that _accursed _island?! It should be blown up, not let out for school trips!"

"Time has moved on, Seto." Her uncle's quiet anger came. "It's just you that hasn't! It doesn't matter _what _it once was, nowadays it's _designed _for school trips! Let her go- and maybe she'll make some _real _friends!"

Maya scowled. Apparently, they did not realise she could hear every single word.

"She has friends."

"I said _real _friends, Seto. Not those girls that she barely speaks to! Or do you just not know a _thing _about her? About your _daughter_?!"

"I know her!" Seto answered, hotly. Maya raised a sceptical eyebrow at this one. "But she is _not _going there!"

"Why won't you let her _live _a little, Seto?!" Mokuba roared, suddenly, his temper split suddenly. This surprised Maya- Her level-headed uncle rarely went ballistic like this. But when he did, he would say anything. "She _lived_, but you won't let her! She's practically as dead as Ellie!"

Silence.

"Oh…" Mokuba stammered. "Oh, geez… Seto… I shouldn't have said that… I'm sorry…"

'_Ellie'…? _Maya wondered, having never heard that name before. Whatever Mokuba had said, it seemed to cool her dad off.

"Get out." He said, icily. And, to her surprise, Mokuba did. He didn't usually back down so easily. He looked a little guilty, and still a little annoyed.

"Still no." He sighed. "I'll work on him, I promise. _I'll _sign that permission slip for you if I have to…" He began getting his coat on, ready to go. "He says he'll come to the concert in a little while." He added.

"Who's Ellie?" Maya asked, curiously.

"You heard?" Mokuba was taken aback. He hesitated, looking mildly guilty again. "It… doesn't matter. Don't worry about it. Come on, let's go."

Something in his tone said this was one issue she really shouldn't press. So she didn't.

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_Mokuba would never know exactly what had happened. All he knew was that both his brother and his sister-in-law had been quite stressed recently, probably because Maya was still so young; and that it must have come to a head today. He figured this out quite easily from Seto turning up on his doorstep early in the evening, with a red mark on his cheek. It looked like he'd been slapped. Hard. Seto asked him, offering no further explanation, to take care of Maya while he went to look for 'her'. No question as to who 'her' was. Mokuba found himself, on that horrid, stormy night, quite suddenly holding his niece and watching his brother disappear back down the corridor. Although Maya was all bundled up to protect her from the rain outside, Seto himself did not even seem to have a coat; and was soaked just from the distance from the car park to the building. Mokuba hoped he found her quickly, and, shaking his head, went back inside. Maya was already settling down to sleep, and he supposed he ought to find her somewhere better then in his arms- that was inconvenient for the both of them._

_Az, meanwhile, was out in the pouring rain, driving along in the little bright red Mini that had always been her pride and joy. The radio was singing dreams, but could not drown out the swish of the wipers as they flicked water off the windscreen. It didn't do much good. But she was glad of it. The hot rage was cooling to cold anger, and her logical mind was returning. If it were not for the water beating rhythmically down, she may not have been able to stop thinking. If it weren't for the tears of the sky, she may not have been able to remain dry eyed. She must remember to have all her arguments in the rainy season from now on._

_Her phone began to ring n the pocket of the jacket on the seat next to her. She eyed it warily, but then pulled over, if only to turn it off. The road was deserted, but she was safety-conscious enough to know that could change pretty fast- especially with such poor visibility. She pulled the phone out, intending to turn it off, but it wasn't who she thought it would be. The caller ID was suggesting Téa. Rubbing her eyes wearily, she answered._

_"Hello."_

_"Hey, Ann!" Téa said, cheery as always. She hadn't been unhappy for such a long time, not since Yugi had come and 'rescued' her from her hole in New York. She'd been even cheerier since their daughter had been born a month or two after Maya. Today was no exception. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything! But I figured we haven't spoken for a while, so…"_

_Az sat there and let her talk, saying 'yes', at appropriate intervals. After about a minute of this 'conversation', Téa changed track._

_"Ann? Everything okay?"_

_"I'm okay." She lied._

_"…Are you in the car?" Téa asked, incredulously. Anna, always a little paranoid about road safety, had always driving in storms. That would explain why it had taken her friend so long to answer, and the loud sounds of the rain. "Oh, goodness, Ann, what's happened?"_

_Az said nothing. She couldn't quite figure what to tell Téa when she didn't know herself._

_Téa hesitated. "Where are you going, Ann?"_

_"Téa…" Az replied, tiredly. She didn't really want to talk about this right now._

_"Well, where are you?" Téa said, anxiously. "I'll come out."_

_"No!" Az said, fiercely. "Look… Téa, don't worry about it. I'm big girl now, I'll be alright. I just want to be alone for a while."_

_"Well… okay…"_

_Some way behind, Seto was following. Because they both knew there was only one place she would go._

_The lake. _

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The concert was an interesting place to be in, Mokuba thought, as he took his place next to James. The man- although Mokuba still often thought of him as a kid- was a close friend of his, nowadays; along with his wife of two years, Grace. James greeted him in the same way as he always did.

"Mokuba! I hope you're engaged!"

Sometimes, that boy was as bad as his sister. Mokuba chuckled, sitting in next to him. "I'm afraid not. Good to see you again, Grace."

"My goodness." James sighed. "All we hear is 'Serenity, Serenity, Serenity'… I bet Anna would have despaired."

"Of course she would have." Mokuba answered, shrugging. "But it's her fault. If she'd hung around, I wouldn't be trying to get Seto sorted out."

"How is he?"

"Fine." Mokuba shrugged. "Same as always." The lights dimmed a little, and he pulled a tiny camcorder from his pocket. "Maya will utterly kill me for this, but… Has to be done."

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen," Michael's voice came over the sound system. "To the Domino High Charity Concert, in aid of The Leprosy Mission. Ticket sales are going towards this, as are all programmes, raffle tickets, and refreshments sold this evening! Now, without further ado, we're proud to present the Domino High Choir, Music Classes, and Dance students with their first number; Madonna's 'Like a Prayer'!"

Maya, standing in her place in the choir- although, as she also took dance, she arguably could have been in this one- felt her heart pound. This was a song she loved, and what she loved doing. And whatever those two were doing up there with the lights and sound, it was working magnificently. The soft vocals echoed around the room as the girl singing the solo- or part of it, as it was shared between several people- stepped forward and began. She felt part of something. She loved music- it was part of her. She never felt happier then when she was singing. She could only hope that, once she was trapped in Kaiba Corp, she'd still have time for it. The opening number drew to a close and then it was the usual flurry of activity- sometimes Maya was doing backing vocals, sometimes dancing, sometimes both; and even sometimes nothing at all. She marvelled at all the talent and hard work that had gone into this thing. The dancing particularly took her notice. Their teacher was skilled and practically, but Téa Motto seemed to have a passion and power and uncanny understanding more then anything. Apparently, she'd spent a year or two actually as a performer in New York, until her husband and showed up and swept her away. How much truth there was in this didn't matter; she'd done a bang up job, and when the interval came, everyone seemed as anxious to congratulate her as any of the performers. For others, it was a rare opportunity to meet up with old acquaintances.

"Looking good, Maya." Mokuba had said to her cheerily, when she appeared. "The dancing is excellent- but I'm looking forward to your solo most of all!"

"Me to." Maya said, wearily. "It's my last costume change before the finale."

Mokuba opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a loud voice calling his name. They turned to see Joey.

"Hey, Mokuba." He said, grinning. "Long time no see."

Mokuba nodded. "It's been really busy down at KC recently… I haven't seen much of _anyone _except my colleagues! But we're working on something pretty cool right now…" He attempted to look mysterious.

"Hmm, that sounds interesting." Joey mused. "Step this way, and tell me more!" He dragged Mokuba off towards the refreshment table, the younger smiling helplessly behind him, shrugging.

It was then that Maya and Michael were forced to acknowledge each other properly. They'd never ended up in the same class, so they'd never really spoken before.

"Um… Sorry about my dad. They can be so embarrassing, can't they?" Michael tried, awkwardly.

"Oh, no- that's my Uncle." Maya replied. Michael felt disastrously embarrassed, but he did not know he was far from the first to make that mistake. Luckily, Yami and her family showed up just then, and saved him from further conversation.

"Hey, Michael, Maya." Yugi said warmly, as though he knew the latter as well as he knew the former. "Good show!"

"It's partly down to some very good choreography." Maya stated, not at all embarrassed to hand out praise in the way Michael would have been. It seemed to be her honest opinion. "Thank you."

Téa waved it away. "Don't start that. Actually, it seems we should be thanking you. Yami told us you bailed her out today."

"Oh… um… yeah." Maya said, embarrassed now.

"Thank you." Yugi said, smiling. "You are a kind person."

Maya squirmed, and Michael couldn't help but take pity on her. He'd known Yami's parents long enough to know that they could be overwhelmingly nice when trying to make a good impression. Yami was squirming to, at seeing Maya's embarrassment. Michael decided he ought to rescue them.

"Hey, I think we're all supposed to be helping out with the raffle." He said, conversationally. "Shall we?"

The two girls followed him gratefully, Yugi and Téa watching them.

"Why do people always do that?" Yugi wondered.

Téa shrugged. "Teenagers. But, do you see what I mean now?"

Yugi tilted his head to one side considering. "Well, she still looks like her dad to me…" He looked at Maya, who was smiling at something his daughter said, and the matter was settled. "But, yes. She is rather like her."

Mokuba meanwhile was still talking to Joey; now joined by James and Grace, and spotted from the corner of his eye Maya standing with Michael Wheeler and Yami Motto. Interesting…

Joey had caught his gaze. "Weird." He commented. "Somehow, the three of them look good like that."

Mokuba nodded. "Yeah, they kind of do."

Joey laughed. "Well, just as long as she's not like her dad was at her age,"

"And as long as Michael's not like you," Mokuba put in.

"That's just fine." Joey concluded, grinning. He raised a glass to them theatrically. "To teenage fun. Let's hope it's less strenuous then ours."

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_A knock at the door. Anna looked up from where she sat, staring out of the window at the rain pouring down in rivers, the lake almost over flowing. While she watched the water flow, she was able to remain dry-eyed. "Yes?" She called, and the door opened to reveal the owner of the little hotel._

_"Excuse me." He said, cordially. "I just thought you might like to know that a man just came in asking for you. I told him you weren't here… I hope that's alright."_

_Anna looked down at the floor. So. He _had _followed her. "That's fine." She said, calmly. The man hesitated in the doorway, unsure. He'd seen far too much of this sort of thing in his life time- an out-of-the-way place such as this was made for escapes. But oh, he hated it. And when that man had stood there in the foyer, soaked just from coming from the car, without coat or umbrella and obviously having been searching for her, he hated it even more. And so, he could not resist a final word._

_"…I think he's still waiting outside, Miss." He added, leaving, and shutting the door quietly behind him. Anna resumed staring out of the window._

_"Idiot." She muttered, angrily._

_Seto was also watching the rain, but wasn't seeing it, as he sat slumped in the car seat. He _knew _she was here, she _had _to be here; but she didn't want to see him. He felt terrible, the feeling made worse by the memories floating on the water of the lake. The last time he'd been here had been when he had taken Az back during the time they were engaged- to stop her from working too much, oddly- and the time before that on a camping trip with Mokuba, and her family. He'd been happy, and he couldn't bear to lose that. But he just didn't know what to do if she wouldn't see him. What could he do?_

_Luckily, she _would_ see him. Suddenly, the car door was wrenched open, and she stood there, an umbrella up against the driving rain, looking blisteringly angry._

_"Az-" He started, but she spoke over him._

_"What are you playing at, Seto?!" She demanded, icily. "You've been sitting there for _six hours_. It's _three am _and I can't sleep with you hanging around like some kind of creepy stalker! What do you _want_?!"_

_"…I want to talk." Seto said, when his voice returned. Three am? He had hardly noticed. The only thing he had seen was the ebb and flow of the rain as it had gone from light to heavy and back again. Right now, it was torrential, and umbrella or not, it couldn't be nice for her out there. "…Would you get in the car?" He asked, calmly._

_"Not there." She said, still not sounding happy. "If you want to talk, let's go somewhere further away from the hotel, and somewhere where there's room to move."_

_Seto nodded, silently getting out of the car. He didn't even have a coat, he had left in such a hurry, and now the rain beat down on him mercilessly. But, as she strode off, he followed her anyway. They headed up a hill, neither of them saying a word. They had been walking some time, her always ahead, when she stopped and waited for him. She let him under the umbrella, soaked as he was. He thanked her gratefully._

_"Just come on." She said, irritably rubbing her forehead with her spare hand, showing her stress and confusion. _

_They did not go a lot further. She stopped at the top of a hill, looking down into a deep valley, almost veiled by trees._

_"I remember this place." Seto said, sadly. _

_"Do you remember the way down?" Anna asked, and then added "Although I believe we actually fell last time." She smiled slightly, but then it disappeared again as they descended into the crack in the Earth, where, thanks to the cover of the trees, the rain lessened slightly. To their surprise, it seemed the beginning of a walk way down was being constructed. It looked like this place was being urbanized to- first the hotel, and now this. By mutual agreement, they walked along trees engraved with the names of all the people who had found the place, and stood before their own._

'Seto and Az were here having a 'Beautiful Day', 2005'

_"It really was a Beautiful Day." Az stated. "…So how did it end up at this?"_

_"I'm sorry." Seto said, immediately. "I… I shouldn't have said that. Any of it."_

_Az sank down, sitting on the tree root. "Oh, come on, Seto. You're not entirely to blame- and this isn't something we're going to be able to fix just by us both apologising. I… I just don't know if we can do this anymore, Seto."_

_Seto sat down slowly next to her, united in their misery but nothing else._

_"It shouldn't be like this." Az continued, almost in tears. "I'll admit, I'm angry. I _keep _getting angry! This isn't a relationship, is it? And… I keep wanting to leave, but every time I think about it I… I find a reason not to go."_

_"I don't want you to leave." Seto said, plainly. "But… I… don't want you to stay if you're going to be unhappy."_

_"That's the thing!" Az said, bluntly. "There is no 'I' or 'You', anymore, there is an 'us'! You can't just think about _me!_" She paused for breath. "So what are we going to do?"_

_"I don't know." Seto confessed. "But… I know that I still love you, even if I don't always behave that way."_

_"That's the problem." Az said, quietly. "I know you do. And I still love you, that's what makes it worse. And that's why I can never go when we annoy each other, anger each other, or get hurt. But we have to do _something!_"_

_"There's a lot of tension between us…" Seto agreed, thinking. "And I can't see anyway to get past it."_

_Az looked down, glumly. "So that's it?" She muttered. "…That didn't last as long as I hoped."_

_"No." Seto said, desperately. "Az… We can't quit. We've both always been far too stubborn for that."_

_"It's not quitting anymore, Seto." She pointed out. "We've tried pretty much everything."_

_"…But we've always tried to settle our differences." Seto said, slowly. "What if… we just ignored them?"_

_Az blinked. "What are you talking about, you fool?"_

_"We can't solve the problems." Seto said, smirking slightly. "We've admitted that. But it's all just little things blown out of proportion, by stress. Then we're more stressed and the atmosphere gets even more tense, and little things bother us more; and then things get worse and worse. But what if we just… forgot the problems. Let the tension go, and start again? Forget all the old arguments and attempts at making up, pretending that the problems didn't happen and don't…"_

_Az couldn't help but be curious. "You really think we could make that work? 'Starting again' sounds so cheesy…"_

_Seto shrugged. "Only one way to find out. I've always liked a challenge." She remained silent, uncertain. He held a hand out to her. "What do you say, Az? We give it one last shot- working through it by ignoring it entirely. It'll take a while, and it won't be easy, but it may just work."_

_She hesitated, but then shook his hand in a business like way. "Sure, why not?" She dared to smile softly. "Let's give it a go. All this arguing can't be good for Maya, anyway." Relieved in many ways, she settled her head onto his shoulder. He dared to wrap an arm around her, glad to have the chance. They had a way to go yet, but hey, they went through worse back when they were kids. She seemed to be thinking along the same lines when she said "We've managed to work together before, I guess."_

_Seto nodded. "I'm sure we'll manage."_

_She gave him an odd look. "Are you sure? No matter what?"_

_Seto paused, then gave an honest answer. "I think we will, so long as we _possibly_ can. We'll certainly try."_

_Az looked almost amused. "Oh, good. I'm actually kinda glad you think that because… well, this is a really bad time for me to tell you… but I'm pregnant again."_

_"…Oh." Seto said, surprised, but unsure as to whether in a good or bad way for quite some time. They sat, soaking wet, in silence, as the sun began to rise and the shock began to fade. "In that case," Seto said, eventually, "We _really _better make this work."_

_"I guess we should." _

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen," Michael's voice came over the tannoy again. "The second half of the evening starts with a performance of Dido's 'See the Sun', from Year Eleven Maya Kaiba. So please, sit tight and enjoy part two!"

Heart pounding, Maya climbed onto stage, along with two or three girls who were going to dance behind her. It was not nerves, but exhilaration. There was some sort of primitive delight at the demands of performing before people, the social obligation to do it well, the danger of that one note. Yami put the lights down, and the music came on. Barely sparing a second thought, Maya buried a sudden age old disappointment that her father wasn't here that bubbled up at the last moment every single time; and sang. _"I'm coming round to open the blinds, you can't hide here any longer…"_

The song passed without mishap up to the chorus before 'that' line. "And you probably don't want to hear tomorrow's another day, but I promise you you'll see the sun again…" came out just fine, as did the rest of it. Then, as she sang the next line, the door to the auditorium swung quietly open, a beam of light falling fleetingly across the room. She could see nothing but a silhouette, a tall, dark figure; late, and standing politely at the back. She felt one more pair of eyes on her; and when the note came, she hit it without thinking.

"_Do you remember telling me you'd found the sweetest thing of all- you said one day of this was worth dying for… so be thankful you knew her at all…"_

It was not a happy song, this one. It was never meant to be. But, music made her feel good, singing seemed to be what she did naturally, and she finished the song sounding better then she ever had before and feeling on more of a natural high then any other performance. The lights brightened up a little to allow the next performance to find it's way on stage as the applause boomed around the room. Maya met Mokuba's eye, and they smiled at each other as she bowed and began to head off. She glanced back at the man by the door, and recognised him. Mokuba had spotted him to, and gave a subtle wave. The man, who she believed to be a casual acquaintance of her uncle's and an old friend of her mother's, known only as 'Well', slipped into the seat saved for him. She couldn't help but feel disappointed, but what at, she didn't even know.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_Seto was a business man. He'd had bad phone calls before. But this one was the worst._

_"Mr Kaiba? It's Domino City Hospital… we have your wife here." _

_Seto almost dropped the phone, but then, clenching it hard, was already running out of the building. Mokuba, who had just been approaching his office with some paper, followed after him, sensing something was wrong._

_"What's happened?" Seto demanded, still running._

_"We need you to come right away." The woman said, in such a hushed tone, that for a second, he thought Az had been mown down. But how could she have been? She'd been at home, with Maya, and, as she frequently complained, so pregnant she could barely move. Kaho had even promised to stop in that day. What could have happened? The woman put him out of his misery, speaking sorrowfully._

_"I'm afraid she lost the baby."_

_Seto's step faltered. He gripped the phone tighter. "…Is she okay? Is Ann alright?"_

_"Yes."_

_"I'll be right there." Seto answered, shortly, and hung up; but, somehow, his legs had jarred to a halt. He wasn't quite sure what to do._

_"Seto?" Mokuba said from behind him, cautiously. "What's up, bro?"_

_Seto turned to him, looking a little confused. "They said… she lost the baby."_

_Mokuba's eyes widened and then softened. He licked his lips, an age old habit of his; and then said, briskly, "I think I'd better drive. Come on."_

_ Later, Seto would wonder- and not for the first, nor the last time- what he would have done without Mokuba. He didn't remember much about that journey. He had followed Mokuba, through the building, ignoring curious looks from the workers, and then into the car. He'd barely noticed the trip to the hospital. He might have cried a little, silently. Mokuba let him, but then, when they had parked up, turned to him sternly and instructed him:_

_"Okay, Seto. Dry it up. Time for you both to be strong. You've got through worse."_

_Seto nodded, the movement waking him up a little. He stepped out of the car, and, a few moments later, had been quietly directed to where Az was. He went in, and she looked up at him, silent and miserable. Kaho, who had been with her, quietly slipped outside, and ended up waiting with Mokuba. As the door shut behind her, Seto went and sat on the bed; waiting for her to speak._

_"It was a girl." Az whispered, eventually. "Another girl. Ellie. We… we can at least give her that… even if…" She dissolved into tears. Seto held her close, and repeated Mokuba's words._

_"Dry it up. We've been through worse. We've been through hell."_

_"This _is _worse." Az answered. "…Not one breath, Seto. Not one. I couldn't even give her a moment. I… failed."_

_"None of that talk." Seto said, firmly. "This isn't your fault, Az. It… it happens. I'm just glad you're alright." Az said nothing, clinging onto him. "Come on. We'll get through this… we have a beautiful girl at home, a beautiful life… And… I promise you, it'll get better. It hurts now, but it'll get better. I promise. It'll get better. We'll get through it. We have to."_

_Az looked up at him. "She never had a chance, Seto."_

_"Then she'll never suffer like this." Seto said, quietly. "She'll never have to age… or pay tax… or get a job… or watch _Big Brother_…"_

_Az gave a laugh, a choke, a hiccup, a sob- some hybrid of them all. "And Maya?"_

_"She'll be alright." Seto promised. "We'll help her."_

_Az was silent for some time. "And us?"_

_"We'll be alright to."_

_Az nodded, and fell silent for some time. "You're right." She said, her voice determined, though still wavering slightly. "But… I want to cry a little more."_

_"Me to." Seto answered, but added "But after that… we'll be alright."_

_Az nodded in agreement once again; and then, they cried. _

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

A soft knock on her bedroom door. Maya, lying in her pyjamas on her bed, reading her book, was surprised when it was her dad who appeared through it. She immediately sat up straighter, ready for whatever he wanted. To her surprise, he merely stated that he had something for her, and put a piece of paper down on her bed. He sat down next to it, just as Maya curiously picked it up and unfolded it. Her permission slip for the trip. Signed by his own hand.

"You should take that in tomorrow, or you might miss your place." Seto said, gruffly. "I don't know how much you need, but get it out of the safe. I'm bound to forget a payment at some point."

Maya looked at him in confusion. "But… I thought…"

"…Mokuba was right." Seto admitted, eventually. "I didn't want you to go on that trip because of the bad memories of the place I had." He looked at her, smiling awkwardly. "So I need you to go and have a good time."

"You never told me much about your Duelling career." Maya said, anxious to prolong the conversation. "You were at Duellist Kingdom?"

"Sort of." Seto answered, vaguely. "Let's just say it involved Mokuba in a dungeon and me gambling with my life on top of the castle." He chuckled a little. "Poor old Yugi… should have let me drop…"

Maya looked at him, confused. Seto merely shrugged again and changed the subject, as though it was a story for another day.

"…You say you're having a card contest one night?" He asked, carefully.

Maya nodded, and both paused for a moment, remembering the days when she was young, spending countless afternoons with her father learning how to duel. Then, she hadn't needed to be taught anymore, and soon he was too busy even to have one match with her. There just wasn't time. "Maybe we can have a game before I go? I haven't had much practise… or a chance to kick your butt, old man."

"I doubt you'll need practise, when most of them won't ever have played." Seto snorted. "Besides… I'd totally pummel you, kiddo."

Maya laughed awkwardly, and for a moment, they sat in silence; not used to properly talking to each other. Eventually, Seto got up to leave. Then he paused.

"You know, I just finished watching that tape Mokuba got. You were fantastic. I'm sorry I couldn't make it." He sounded almost like he meant it.

Maya blinked in surprise, not just at the compliment, but also at the fact that the tape had been for her dad. She thought it might have been for her grandfather, who she didn't see as often as she'd like, but never for her _dad_. She didn't know he'd even realised she was performing. "Oh… thanks."

Seto nodded, and, uncomfortable with affection, left the room; leaving Maya decidedly more confused then before he had entered. But…

She was going on the trip.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_Some years before that final journey to the lake, the two stood together before it, autumn winds whipping around them. Az looked over the rippling water happily, and seemed more relaxed then she had done for weeks. If only Seto could relax in the same way. He was trying his best to enjoy this holiday he'd dragged her off on, but couldn't help but worry. He'd forced his fiancée along in the first place purely because he was worried she'd return to work if he didn't, despite the doctor's orders. After all, the bruises hadn't properly healed yet. Oh, she claimed they had, but he could see in the way she moved- but her mental state of boredom had been as bad as her physical one. She hadn't really been herself for a while. Yet, now, something had seemed to come alive in her again. She turned and smiled at him, stray bits of hair flicking in her face._

_"This was a great idea." She said cheerily. "The last time we were here was when we were sixteen, right?" She paused pensively. "The years seem to have gone so fast… but it feels like we were here a lifetime ago."_

_"We were." Seto stated. "We were kids then; and somewhere in the last few years, we've become adults."_

_"You've _always _been middle-aged." Az teased, elbowing his side. "You were never a teenager, were you?"_

_"Whereas you stopped maturing at the age of twelve." Seto replied, easily. _

_"You love me for it." She informed him, nuzzling close into his side. "We balance each other out a bit."_

_"Yes." Seto agreed, chuckling a little. "I've gotten too used to you being around, now." He grumbled. "I think we've fused somehow, so if one of us leaves, the universe will _collapse_ or something."_

_"Really?" She said, in mock surprise. "Then we really better had_ _get married. It's our _duty to mankind_!"_

_"Screw mankind." Seto snorted. "I couldn't care less about it so long as you're still loitering about my life."_

_Az sighed ruefully. "Ah, ever the romantic."_

_"Why do I need fancy words?" Seto said, easily. "It's the feeling that matters, is it not?"_

_"Then what do you feel?" She asked, coyly._

_"I feel…" He began, sneakily. "Cold. I think I'll go inside." He released her and began to head towards the little hotel that had been constructed since the last time they'd been there. Az sighed wryly, turning her eyes heavenward and wondered what on Earth and in the floating cities she'd done to deserve falling for a man with such an ability to annoy her. To her surprise, she was snapped back to reality by his presence, his arms around her and his lips on hers. When she was released, she smiled in pleasant surprise._

_"You shouldn't stand there with your mouth open." Seto informed her, holding back uncharacteristic laughter. "Anything can happen."_

_"Hmm, sounds alright to me." Az answered, and took his hand. They walked together to book into their rooms in the hotel, ready to face the day; and the rest of their lives, together, good or bad. _

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

A/N: Just to clear up the flashbacks… the first two were from about a year after Maya was born, the third was many months later, and the fourth was before all of them back when Seto and Az were engaged, and were down at the lake that they went to back in **Wherever you Go**. At any rate, it needs nicely into my rhetorical questions- How exactly was Az hurt? How was Joey 'persuaded' to propose? Who will get seasick? Will there _ever_ be some happier flashbacks? (Yes). Join me next time for **Fall or Fly Chapter Two- Sail**…


	3. Sail

A/N: Yay, an update! I so wanted to put this up at the weekend, though… I didn't quite get it done. Oh well, it's here now, and it's LONG! I think we are going to reach **WyG** proportions, folks. But who expected any less?

Now then, I meant to explain this last time: 'Yankees', as according to what I've gleaned from the awesome manga/anime_ Fruits Basket_, are gangs of anti-social girls, similar to what Jou had to deal with in the original YGO manga. Except all girls. Yeah. Anyways, they have violent tendencies, skip school, and then there is a fashion that goes with it- long skirts and dust masks. These aren't like cliques, though- although manga will over-dramatise, it seems like it can be pretty disastrous to try and quit a gang once you're in it.

Disclaimer: Same old, same old. Oh! I should say, as I have for every other fic in this 'series', that the ORIGINAL inspiration came from the web comic _9th Elsewhere_; and although it's come a long way since then, credit where credit's due. Please visit it!

Three- Sail

_"It has to be time for s'mores!" Doug declared suddenly, pulling a bag of marshmallows seemingly out of nowhere and brandishing them happily. "I even got sticks, so we don't have to worry about finding them to make our s'mores!"_

_"What on Earth…" Seto began._

_"And in the Floating Cities-" Azreal put in._

_"Is a s'more?" They finished together._

_"You two are so ignorant." Mokuba laughed, accepting a marshmallow, and a stick, from Doug and stabbing the sweet onto it. "It's a roasted marshmallow…" He continued, pushing it into the fire. "Sandwiched between two wafers and with chocolate in between."_

_Seto wrinkled his nose at the sound of the gooey, messy, sweet, concoction. "And just when," He asked Mokuba "Have you had a…s'more?"_

_"Oh, don't be such a square." Azreal sighed, pushing a marshmallow on a stick into his hands and preparing another one herself. "Now, shut up, relax, and make your s'more."_

_Seto snorted, but obediently pushed the chemical mess into the flames._

_"So…" Doug began, trying to fill the silence that had descended onto the fire. "Ann says you've starting making Robots…"_

_"That's right." Seto replied shortly, nodding._

_"Oh, what kind?" Doug persisted. "I mean, the kind you get on a production line, or are we talking sentient beings…?"_

_"Hardly." Seto replied. "If Man is to ever create Artificial Intelligence, it requires that intelligence itself."_

_"And you're not that smart?" Doug asked._

_"I am not a God." Seto replied. Then he smirked. "I can only do so much with the parts available."_

_Doug laughed, and they launched into a deep discussion._

_"Mmm, this is really good…" Anna whispered to Mokuba, smiling as she swallowed another mouthful of the s'more. "And it's good to see Seto getting on with my dad."_

_"Yeah." Mokuba agreed, but glanced slightly worriedly at what he was supposed to be ignoring. "But… when are we going to tell Seto his marshmallow's burning?"_

_"When it starts burning down the stick." Anna replied, swallowing the last of the 'concoction'. "Oh, that's now!" She poked Seto in the arm. He looked at her quizzically, wondering why he was being interrupted mid-flow._

_"That's all well and good, chick…" She told him. "But your stick is on fire."_

_Seto looked where she was pointing, and stood in alarm. The marshmallow had, for all but a charred lump, melted away, and the stick was burning brightly. Seto shook it, hoping to put it out._

_It didn't go out. _

_He blew on it in a bizarre moment of stubbornness. He was not failing to roast a marshmallow!_

_The flame continued to cheerily move ever closer to his hand. Hurriedly, Seto surrendered the remains of the marshmallow, and just tossed the entire thing back into the fire. _

_Silence fell again._

_Then Azreal started giggling._

_"Not a word." Seto warned._

_Mokuba joined in the laughter, tentatively followed by Ruby and Doug._

_"Man, Seto…" Mokuba snorted. "You can't even cook a marshmallow…"_

_Seto was not famous for his sense of humour, but even he saw the funny side of it, and snorted. Soon the whole group of them fell into hysterical laughter unfitting to the actual event, and probably due to the sugar._

_"Here." Azreal said, letting out the last of her giggles and handing him a fully assembled s'more. "Have this one."_

_Seto looked down at the gooey mess, melting all over his hands. "Is it safe?" He said, trying not to think about all the sugar and fat oozing over his fingers._

_"Oh, like you can talk!" Azreal pointed out, snatching it back. "Just eat it, already!"_

_Seto opened his mouth to retort, something about how he couldn't if she was holding it, and, quick as a flash, she shoved the mess into his mouth._

_Surprised, he stood with a s'more sticking lopsidedly half in and half out of his mouth._

_She stared back at him, poker faced. Then collapsed, along with the rest of her family and Mokuba, into giggles again. _

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"Right, are you sure that's everything?"

Maya raised an eyebrow but said nothing, refusing to dignify that with an answer. However, she did pull the zip on the bag closed very firmly.

"I just don't want you to be short of anything." Rachel defended herself.

"I don't think there's any danger of that." Maya said in exasperation, looking at the bulging bag on the bed. She found her appearance important, yes, but didn't need to change her clothes three times a day. She wasn't ruled by it. This trip was one where you were bound to get dirty, and she didn't really mind. Rachel, however, was firmly of the opinion that you could _never _have too much of _anything_, and she had asserted that over Maya when she had been trying to pack.

Maya was never quite sure how to describe her relation to Rachel. Technically, she was their housekeeper; but she was much more then that. She was the only staff they had in the house, and she came three times a week. She took her turn at cooking like the rest of them, and cleaned the lesser known rooms. In fact, Maya wasn't entirely sure what she _did_ do, except for every so often she'd come home and a room would be entirely different. Whatever it was she did, she must have done a good job of it; because the house and garden were always in a good state. She was as much part of this dysfunctional family as the rest of them, even if she didn't live here the whole time. She was only a year or two younger then her father, but she was not really a mother figure. Maybe a sister? No, more a cousin. Whatever it felt like, Maya was used to it. Most people had parents, maybe brothers and sisters; one or two even had grandparents in their house; but Maya's family consisted of her, her father, her father's brother, and their 'housekeeper'. She was fairly certain that this qualified them as dysfunctional. Either way, Rachel, in her calming way- totally miss-matched to her twanging American accent- was very useful to have around. She had helped Maya through a lot, from arguments with her father to the awkward time of her puberty to the unwanted attention of a boy in the choir. She had been a support, to be true, and so Maya could tolerate her fussing. More or less.

It was, after all, only a school trip.

Just then, Mokuba sidled through the door, seeing them both in there. "All packed?" He asked, with an odd catch to his voice.

"Yeah…" Maya said, quizzically, wondering what was wrong. At this point, Rachel tactfully chose to leave, making her excuses and shutting the door quietly behind her. Maya sat down on the bed. Mokuba was extremely easy to read, and it was obvious he wanted to talk to her about something. She looked at him expectantly, and he laughed a little sheepishly.

"Okay, yes- I want to talk to you." He admitted, sitting down on the chair by the desk. She gestured for him to continue, but he hesitated, until she was forced to speak.

"I'll be careful." She promised, wearily.

"Hmm." Mokuba grunted, pulling a face. "Hey, you _have _to see if that cell I was kept in is still there…"

"Cell?" Maya echoed. "What the _heck _happened to you two there?"

Mokuba laughed. "You'll have to come home safe and I'll tell you. But… that's not what I wanted to talk to you about." He suddenly seemed uncharacteristically serious.

"Then what?"

"Your mother…" Mokuba said slowly, as he dug in his pocket for something. He pulled out a battered, envelope. "I…She came to visit it me the day before she died, with this letter. And… She made me promise to give it to you one day. And… well, I guess one day is today." He held it out to her. She took it, silently. "I promise, I haven't looked." He informed her. "I've been holding onto that for fourteen years… I was really worried I lost it…"

"Am I supposed to open it now?" Maya asked, calmer then she felt. There was a typhoon of emotions inside her, and something she desperately wanted to ask; and she couldn't face the storm within her heart just from receiving the letter. The idea of opening it made her feel worse.

"Well, she said I should give it to you when I felt the time was right." Mokuba smiled kindly. "I guess that goes for you opening it to. I just… Well, it's been locked away in one of my desk drawers, and every other time I've chanced upon it, I've thought not yet. But today, I thought… heck, why not?" Maya pushed it into her bag, a confusion of feelings competing to control her.

"I'll read it on the trip." She promised.

"Don't rush it." Mokuba said, firmly. "You don't have to open it _at all _if you don't want to. But, you're a big girl now, and the choice should be yours. I'll admit, for a long time, I thought that if I didn't think you would cope I wouldn't have to give it to you. I didn't want you to get stressed. But then I realised the decision was yours; and that distress is a fact of life, and maybe rather then trying to protect those you care about from it we should just try to help them when it happens."

"No." Maya said, instinctively. "…I think this one I might have to do on my own."

"Oh," Mokuba groaned, rolling his eyes. "I should have _known _you'd turn into your father…"

"Don't say that." Maya pleaded. "Just… don't say that."

Mokuba couldn't help but laugh. "Everyone turns out a little like their parents. I mean, you look a lot like your dad… but you act more like your mom, so don't worry about it."

Maya suppressed a frown. A lot of people said that she was like her mother. But how could she know? She didn't even know the woman… All she had was the stories Mokuba and James had told her, and now, in addition to those tiny patches, the letter lurking in her bag. She had a feeling that something in that letter would cause a change- in her, in who she was, in her relationships with her family members… she didn't know what, but it would do something. Opening it would be like opening Pandora's Box; a gamble. She needed to be mentally prepared for it. And at the moment, she was not.

Mokuba stood up, stretching. "Well, I'm tired." He declared.

"That's because you're getting old." Maya teased. "You're going to be grey before dad is."

Mokuba's reaction was very akin to her own. "Don't say that." He begged, fretfully.

"The truth hurts?" Maya smirked. "You've got more grey hairs then he has and you know it." Then, she was forced to take pity on him. "You know, it looks a lot worse then it is because your natural colour is so dark, but more because your hair is so long. If you had it cut, it'd be far less noticeable."

Mokuba raised his eyebrows. Unlike his brother and niece, he had not inherited the ability to only raise one at a time, and it really irked him. "I refuse to cut my hair until it looks _awful._" He said, starchy. He knew it wasn't _nearly_ as bad as Maya wound him up by saying. He maybe had one or two greys, admittedly, but she made it sound as though it was _white_. And it was _not _greyer then Seto's. He refused to believe that. His brother's hair was just beginning to show tints of grey at the roots, and from there, it was like trying to turn back the tide. More worrying on Mokuba's part was the fact that his hair seemed to be getting _thinner. _But, again, he _refused _to believe that he'd _eventually _go bald. He _refused _to go bald. Seto's hair showed no signs of it, and baldness was supposedly hereditary, so surely, he was safe…

Maya was laughing at him again. He always got paranoid when she mocked his hair. Usually, Mokuba was far less gullible then her father, but he always was scared of losing his long hair. Her dad, who was currently down the hall, talking to Rachel, would be quite happy if his brother was to cut his hair. That, of course, was not the subject of conversation.

"I'll be off now, okay?" She said, standing in the doorway. Yet, she did not move. Seto turned, eyebrow raised.

"Go on, then." He said, tolerantly, knowing fully well there was something else she wanted to say.

"You're going in early tomorrow, aren't you?" Rachel demanded. "You won't see her before she leaves…"

"'She'?"

Rachel sighed in exasperation. "Yes, you know- your daughter?"

"Maya?" Seto asked, still confused. Then the penny dropped. "Oh, I see. Is her trip tomorrow?" A nod. "Ah. I didn't realise."

"Well, now that you do…" She answered, expectantly. When he said nothing more, she surrendered and instructed him. "You won't see her again for a week. Will you at least go and say goodbye…? Please?"

"I will!" Seto said, irritably. "You don't have to _force _me. Of course I'll say goodbye… after all, that island is a death trap. She might never come back."

"Don't joke."

"I don't." He turned back to the work he was doing. "I was against this trip from the start. I just couldn't stand Mokuba's _nagging_…"

Rachel sighed. "I should go soon, because she's going to bed… Early start and all…"

Seto threw up his hands in surrender. "Okay, fine, I'm going. Calm down. My goodness, you're almost as manipulative as…as…" he trailed off. "As Mokuba." He completed, and headed out of the room.

Rachel looked down at the floor. It had been so long now since they had lost Anna. Maybe one day he'd be able to use her in casual comparisons again, but she was wondering if that day would ever come.

Seto, meanwhile, was knocking on Maya's door, and pushing it gently open. She was lying on her bed in pyjamas, reading a book; just as she always did. She seemed surprised to see him, making Seto feel a little guilty. He didn't think he ignored her, and yet Rachel had been worried he wouldn't say goodbye, and his daughter hadn't expected him to. Then he realised it must look odd, him just standing in the doorway, so he entered the room and searched for something to say.

"Got everything?" He asked, gruffly, nudging the bag with his foot. Maya nodded.

"Yeah, I do." She paused for a second, wondering if she should mention the letter, if her father even knew about it. If he had done, why had it been handed to Mokuba…? More to the point, how would her mother even have _known_, when her father always said she died unexpectedly…? She forced the thoughts away. It wasn't something to face right before she wanted to sleep. The room was silent, and awkward, so she added "I'm looking forward to it."

"I hope you enjoy yourself." He replied, formally. He sat down on the end of her bed, suddenly remembering. "…we never did have that practise match, did we? Sorry."

Maya shrugged. She didn't like to say she'd never thought that they actually would and had only suggested it to fill an awkward silence. "You're busy. Besides, it's only a little evening activity…Oh, that's right." She added, suddenly. "You're at work really early tomorrow, right? To get that call from France?"

Seto nodded rigidly. "That's the idea. However… my French tends to be more embarrassing then any help…" He sighed. Language skills were one of the few things he hadn't gained by now. He could just about get by in English, but that was about it. Once upon a time, Az had always come along to help him translate. But not anymore.

Maya chuckled. "Want me to come and help?"

Seto shook his head. "No. You can't risk being late if you want to go to that death-trap." Maya felt a little childishly disappointed. She translated for her dad quite a lot, and was good at it. By now, she shouldn't crave his attention, but sometimes, she did. Seto considered her. The language thing had to come from the muse in her. If she heard a word in another language and was told what it meant, it seemed to stick in her brain forever. Still, that wasn't quite the same as the muses, who would just understand a word immediately. And she hadn't shown any other characteristics that would give away her mixed genetics. Perhaps she didn't have any, as Az had lost her powers so long before Maya was even conceived. He wasn't sure. There wasn't much point in trying to find out.

"Well…" He said, standing. "Have fun. I'll see you in a few days."

"Bye." Maya answered, and with that, he left.

Maya sat there for a moment on her bed, then slid into it, feeling numb.

A letter from her mother.

…But what would it say?

The next morning, she had to be up reasonably early; but not as early as her dad, who was already in the office by that point. It was the usual mad dash between her and her Uncle's disorganisation- luckily Rachel turned up to help- to get ready in time; and so Maya was lucky to spot it at all. There was a slip of paper on the hall table; and the scrawl on it she recognised. Both Mokuba and her father were so used to typing that their handwriting was almost illegible. This note, however, had been written by her father- his handwriting had deteriorated so much over the years he'd taken to writing in block capitals. She read it hastily.

_MAYA- USE THESE AS A LAST RESORT. I'M SURE YOU CAN WIN WITHOUT THEM. HAVE A GOOD WEEK. _

Her first reaction was to roll her eyes. Would it kill the man to use an exclamation mark occasionally? Or sign his name? That, however, was merely an instant reaction, and it was then she saw what that simple not was wrapped around. She pulled it off, screwing it up in her hand and fanning out the contents. It was cards. His trademark dragons, and his favourite combo- Saggi the Dark Clown, and the Crush Card Virus. Perhaps she should have considered more what it meant that her father was giving her- or at least lending to her, the note was hardly specific- but instead she was merely thinking how well they'd work in her rarely used deck. Normally Mokuba helped her, but there wouldn't be time for that now. She smiled. This was half the fun- trying to find room for new cards.

But the note said as a last resort. Her father believed she didn't need them. Believed in her.

That made her smile even more.

She picked up her bag and headed for the door. She'd been looking forward to this trip for quite some time now. It looked like it would certainly be interesting.

And in that bag, the letter waited to tell her who her mother was, and maybe who Maya herself was to.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_Seto shook his head in bewilderment. "Az, calm down."_

"_Sorry." She replied, sheepishly. "I'm just worried she won't like me…"_

_Seto rolled his eyes. "Az, we're _hiring _her, not trying to make friends…"_

"_I know." She sighed, finally sitting down next to him. "But that's easy for you to say. You'll be out all day. _I'm _the one who'll be sharing the house with her…"_

"_Well, we can't not hire." Seto pointed out, logically. Some months ago, Mrs Portly, his faithful cleaner who had enjoyed her work so much and had managed to do it well right up until the week she died. He had thought he'd barely noticed her presence on those three days she came in, but when she passed away, he'd missed her greatly; and had realised that, back in his teens when she first came, she'd been more like a kindly aunt, more like a relative then anyone since his parents. Nowadays, even though Az was rarely out all day with her work, her hours were unpredictable and she often had to leave jobs half done. Seto did his share to, but it always seemed a shame to spend the rare time he got at home cleaning rooms they hardly used rather then seeing his wife. And now that she was pregnant, cleaning would hardly be her top priority- if it ever had been either of theirs in the first place. You got used to mess when you were constantly surrounded by it. Even so, they needed someone. Someone who had the same work ethic Mrs Portly used to, who wouldn't mind cleaning, who would respect their privacy, who would be honest. So far, they had interviewed a few people, but they didn't want to make it too public or it would become like a talent search. They'd put the word about a little, but hadn't gone to great lengths; and so far, the only people that had been dredged up had been entirely unsuitable. Particularly that woman who had freely said she had once been the head of his fan club. He could guess her motivation quite easily. Just thinking of it made him shudder. Then there was the guy who had a criminal record a mile long for petty thievery. He seemed to think lifting possessions would just be a perk of the job. There was one woman who seemed like she would do the job, but she seemed so strict that Az refused to let Seto take her one- she said she could imagine being too scared to be tutted for dropping crumbs in her own home and refused to live under a dictator. Then there had been that kid who had been fired and was desperate for money. Not that he had anything against kids, but he actually asked if he would be required to use a vacuum, because he never had got the hang of it. Seto felt inclined to wonder why he had applied to be a cleaner in the first place. However, the kid had some of the best ICT qualifications he'd ever seen, and was now on Mokuba's team in the R&D department. As nice as that was, it didn't solve their cleaning problem. So, now, having absolutely scraped the dregs out of the barrel, he was hoping for better luck._

"_I know we need to…" Az sighed. "But I'm still not used to it…" Just then, the doorbell rang, and Az stood to answer it, flattening down her top. _

"_She's punctual." Seto noted, approvingly, as he followed her to the door. He couldn't abide lateness. However, people that showed up early, before he was ready, irked him too. _

_None of the others had been precisely on time…_

"_Good morning." Az said, smiling as she beckoned the blond woman inside. She seemed a little nervous, but did not gawp at her surroundings, instead meeting Seto's eye directly, giving a slight, shy smile. She was a little younger then them both, probably twenty or twenty one. She stood taller then Az, and was dressed reasonably in tan coloured clothing, long hair pulled back behind her. She bowed politely._

"_I'm Rachel Dawking, pleased to meet you." She introduced herself, formally. Az returned the greeting, and even Seto inclined his head slightly. _

"_Shall we?" He asked, gesturing everyone into one of the rooms across the hall._

_The interview went well. In fact, Seto could not fault her. She seemed quite shy and softly spoken- entirely opposite to Az, who seemed to like her regardless- but she clearly had standards. She explained that she had come over to Japan from America to study, but would like to be able to support herself while she was here. She'd had previous experience cleaning for a rich person in her homeland, which was how she saved up enough money to get her to begin with; but was hoping she could stay even after she qualified. She appeared to be conscientious in whatever she did, with the standards Seto desired and an attitude that put Az at ease. They hired her._

_It was a good choice. Rachel proved to be invaluable, and quickly became one of Az's closest friends. And then, when Az was gone, she proved her worth again. She swore she would never go back to America. Not until she wasn't needed anymore._

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Joey looked levelly across at his opponent. "Come on." He taunted. "Make a move, if you can. Or maybe you're just scared to."

"He looks pretty scared to me." Mai agreed, grinning sadistically. "Still, he should be…"

"Of course I'm scared." Michael sighed, lowering his hand. "You two are freaky."

"Just get on with it!" Joey commanded.

"Do we _have _to keep playing?" Michael demanded. "You've won _every _time!"

"And we'll _keep _playing till _you _win!" Joey insisted. "You can't afford to lose that tournament on the trip!"

Michael looked imploringly at his mom. "Mom, tell him…!"

Mai shrugged. "Just take your turn."

"Fine…" Michael scanned the field. "I play one card face down, and then summon this- Harpies' Brother! And he can destroy Mom's Harpy Lady!"

"Not so fast!" Mai said, smiling. "I activate this- Cyber Bondage! Harpy's attack increases by 500! You lose 200 life points…" She jotted it down on the pad next to her as Michael groaned. "Your turn, Wren."

Wren continued to read _A Little Princess. _In English.

"Wren!" Joey said, sharply. "Come on!"

She looked up, surprised. "Eh?"

"It's your turn!"

"Oh." Wren searched about her for her hand, drew a card, and then studied them. There was a slight pause. "I pass." She said, and went back to her book.

"What?!" Michael screamed. "You've passed _every _turn! What's the point in playing tag team when your partner is acting utterly _useless_?!"

Wren scowled at him. "Fine. I un-pass. And activate this." She tapped the one card she'd played, that everyone had forgotten about. "Diffusion Wave Motion Cannon has now been on the field for eighteen turns, which means it has more then enough power to take you both out. We win."

Michael felt very little jubilation over their victory. "Why is she better than me at _everything_?" He wondered.

"Don't worry, son!" Joey said, falsely cheerful. "I more or less learnt as I went along to! You'll see- you'll kick _all_ butt at that tournament…"

"Actually, I might not enter…" Michael said, thinking. "Most of those kids won't have picked up a deck before… it'd be a little unfair…"

"Don't kid around." Joey said, with a frosty smile. "You _have _to enter- it's impossible to find competitions these days. You might never get another chance. Besides…" He grinned twisted. "Isn't Kaiba's girl going to be there?"

"Kaiba? I don't know." Michael shrugged. True, he'd spoken to her more after the concert, even sat with her in one of their classes. But, beyond that, they were no more then casual acquaintances at best. "Probably."

"Excellent…" Joey muttered. "And you're going to beat her _good_!"

"Dad…"

"I just wish I could see his face after he finds out…"

"Dad, I…"

"Just leave it." Mai sighed. "Even back in the days when they were friends, your dad only wanted to beat Kaiba…"

"They were friends?" Michael asked, incredulously. "I find that hard to believe…"

"Well." Mai reconsidered. "They were friendly enough, once Ann- Maya's mom- married him. He was _almost _fun, for a while… but then, she died…"

"Kaiba's mom is dead?" Michael blinked, and then looked down at the floor. "I didn't realise…"

Mai nodded. "Well, she died when you were very small. But we were all pretty good friends, once. I know Kaiba's been a pretty lonely man since she went- he's back to how he used to be. Totally unbearable." She shook her head. "I don't think we realised how good an influence she was on him until that influence was removed…" She glanced up at the clock. "But I'll have to reminisce some other time. You've got get up in the morning, and your dad certainly won't wake up on his own. We'd better get to bed."

Michael nodded. "Just let me put my deck in my bag."

He did so, and then went upstairs and got ready. For a minute, he lay on his bed, thinking how annoying his dad could be. But then he thought of Kaiba, who, it seemed, didn't have two parents to bug her. Yet, she still did so well. He didn't know how she managed. As irritating as his parents could be, he didn't know what he'd do without either of them. You learnt something new everyday…

He wondered if that was actually true, and if it would happen in the next five days. Even people he saw everyday, he hardly knew at all. Perhaps on this trip, he would find out a little more.

More then likely, though, he'd just have a bit of fun.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Yami, while all this was going on, with in her room, totally relaxed. She was excited to- she'd been looking forward to this trip for a long time. Her dad had gone there for a tournament once, and from the sounds of things, the Island was a fantastic place for a holiday. Of course, he'd also tied in his old fairy tale of the Millennium Items.

She knew his trip to Duellist Kingdom back and forth and any which way, ever since she was a kid. Instead of bedtime stories, she'd learnt of his adventures and duels; instead of music and songs, she knew all the great duellists and decks. Back in those days, she'd been more inclined to believe the things her dad put in to make the stories more interesting; the magic, the monsters coming to life, the charismatic Pharaoh he had created and named after her. Her favourite. Then there were the villains; he'd changed the game's creator into a misunderstood madman wanting to revive his dead wife, his constant rival in Seto Kaiba who, usually, was only out to save his younger brother, a man named Dartz, the soul stealer; and then there was Yami Bakura and Marik, spirits of the 'Millennium Items' who possessed friends. Those villains scared her a little even now. Her dad really had created the most wonderful worlds, all based on places he'd been and people he'd met; apart from the Spirits. What amused her was that even now he was unwilling to let the magic of his stories fade away completely and still insisted they were true. Even so, she'd like to have known what on Earth possessed them to name her 'Yami'… It was _hardly _complimentary. Ah well. It didn't really matter.

That was who she was.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_They had all waved her goodbye, and it seemed so long ago… It had been so long ago. She was living her dream, and yet… she was beginning to wake up. And when she awoke, it wasn't back with her friends. It was to the harsh view of the tower block, like her own, opposite her room._

_No-one had warned her it would be like this._

_Her parents hadn't wanted her to go, not deep down. Neither had her friends. But they had been nothing but supportive. She remembered when they were eighteen, in their final school year- They had got Saturday jobs, to help her pay her way out there... She'd never forget seeing them at Burger World. And when asking for an explanation, Yugi had just smiled, and replied that she had mentioned that she didn't think she'd ever get the money. And they wouldn't let that happen._

_'Follow your dream, Téa.' He'd said, still smiling. 'It doesn't matter if you're far away, you just promise to be happy, okay?'_

_She had promised, but she hadn't realised that promise would be so hard to keep, and so hard to lie about… Hard about summed up her life right now. She was always having to choose, not knowing if the choices themselves were small or large, agonising over the wrong ones, practically ignoring the wrong ones… maybe. She didn't know. But her dream, her dream of dancing, had seemed far closer back in Domino. In New York, it had never seemed further away._

_It had taken years to get here, and, of course, it hadn't been so bad at first. She hadn't expected to be a hit straight away. But, so far, all she'd managed to do was to find a job as a waitress which just paid for her apartment and groceries. It also occasionally stretched to paying her fees for the tiny dance studio a few blocks away. She rarely went there anymore, too tired from work, too poor to afford it. The people there would have let her go for free, recognising her talent and knowing that, one day, she'd be able to pay them back; but she didn't feel able to accept this charity. She didn't feel like she'd be able to pay them back in this lifetime._

_It hadn't been all bad. She'd made friends at the studio and at work. She had even dated the chef for a while. It had been awkward, though- she had kept in close contact with Yugi at the beginning, and he'd been jealous- especially once he'd heard that they had this habit of dating, going their separate ways, getting back together again, splitting up again, and so on; like an indecisive pair of automatic doors. She hadn't been in such close contact with her friends after that. And then, when he ditched her, she'd never got around to restabilising it. Sure, she _could _contact Yugi, and he sent E-mail every month or so, but she always sugar-coated her replies and left them suitably vague. When she replied at all. How could she be honest with him? She could hardly be honest with herself. This had been her dream for so long, they'd all worked and fought so hard for it- how could she admit defeat now?_

_But, that evening, as she came home from work, soaked from the rain and exhausted from work, she found an message waiting for her- it seemed he knew, just as he always had, when she needed a friend. It was a simple E-mail, stating all the news, what they'd all been up to over the past month- how Joey's web comic was being published as a book now, how well the shop was doing, what Ann was doing, and Tristan, and Ryou, and all the others. It might as well have been a newsletter. And yet, it hurt. They were all doing fine. They were all doing just fine without her, and before she left them, she had been doing just fine too. She couldn't bear it anymore. She replied. Honestly this time. She said how badly things were going, how her dream had turned out to be a nightmare, how much she hated her dark, damp 'home', how much she missed them and her real life, how much she envied their happiness. How much of a failure she was. Then, she went to bed and fell asleep without even getting undressed._

_She expected some sort of E-mail back the next morning, full of encouragement and Yugi's characteristic cheerfulness. There was none. There was nothing waiting for her. It seemed that she really had lost everything now. She left her apartment for another day of drudgery. When she returned, exhausted, and tired of life in general, the last thing she wanted was to see some total stranger trying to break into her apartment, rattling the door. _

_"Can I help you?" She said, dully. She had nothing to protect._

_The woman turned, smiling. "Actually, we're here to help you."_

_Now she could see her face, Téa knew her. "Ann…? But… What…?"_

_Anna shrugged. "Well, Yugi couldn't get a flight for anytime soon, so I convinced Seto to let him use that silly Blue-Eyes jet of his, but Seto didn't want Yugi in it alone, so I came to."_

_Téa just stared blankly at her. "Yugi…?"_

_"I'm right here." A voice came from behind her. Yugi was standing on the stairs. "I was hoping to catch you on the way in." He said, sheepishly. "Téa… come home."_

_"You… came all the way out here to…"_

_"Rescue you!" Anna put in, cheerfully, and then plucked the keys to the flat out of Téa's limp hands. "Excuse me, but I _really _need to use your toilet…" she disappeared inside._

_"Rescue me?" Téa echoed. "But… but how did you know? What if it was just… one night- if I'd had an argument, or if my hormones were shot, or…"_

_"It wasn't, was it?" Yugi asked, suddenly worried. Téa looked down miserably at the floor. Having him here was just a reminder of everything she'd lost. "No, it wasn't." Yugi said, quietly. "Téa… we knew. All those E-mails… We knew they were false. We've been worried about you. We've been even more worried that you'd never ask for help." _

_Tears began to run down her cheeks, as though she was a teenager again. He came and hugged her close. He was the tiniest bit taller then she was now. A lot had changed in the time she'd been away. _

_"Don't cry…" He begged, quietly. "Don't cry, Téa. We've all been waiting for you. Would you like to come back with us?"_

_"How can I?" She whispered, ashamed. "You all worked so hard to get me out here. I've failed. I even stopped talking to you all. How can I crawl back now…?"_

_"Sometimes, it takes more strength to admit defeat." Yugi informed her. "I can't go back without you. They made me swear not to leave you here. I couldn't leave you here, I've wanted to come and get you for so long… I love you."_

_Téa cried harder. "I know you do." She sobbed. "I don't deserve it."_

_"Don't be silly." He smiled at her. "Please, come back to Japan… and… and…"_

_"And what?" Téa asked. "Why is there going to be any better then here when I'm so ashamed?"_

_"Because we're there. I'm there." Yugi said, haltingly. "I don't want you to hurt anymore. _I _don't want to hurt anymore. Please come back to Japan. And…" He swallowed, gaining resolve. "And… please, marry me, Téa."_

_She stared up at him through watery eyes, shocked._

_"How can you ask me that? How can you still _want _to after…"_

_"I said." Yugi replied, blushing. But his next words were spoken with certainty. "I love you."_

_Téa stared for a moment, then she nodded. "Thank you. I'd like to go back home now. And… I'd like to marry you, to." _

_She smiled. _

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Had they met at the school, they would have needed a coach to take everyone and their baggage on the short ride down to the docks; and the money required would have hardly been worth it. As a result, they were meeting there, the small ferry in front of them, loitering about and waiting to leave. Yami and Michael were chatting idly as their parents did the same, occasionally yawning at the early start. At the other end of the group, Maya stood silently besides Mokuba, waiting with her own thoughts. Mokuba wondered why she hadn't gone over to any of the straggling friendship groups of students. He got the impression she wasn't particularly part of any of them, but rather, as she said a brief hello to most of the people that passed, the sort of person that wasn't particularly close to anyone. It probably meant she could have gone and spoken to anyone, but it was a shame that she didn't have anyone particular. It worried him. But then, her father had always been a loner to. She seemed to take after him in that respect, rather then Anna, who had held friendship as a highly valuable thing.

"It sure is cold." Maya commented, suddenly, and pulled her coat in towards her in such a way that immediately made him think once again of her mother. Oblivious, she continued to grumble. "I hope they hurry it up a little, or we're going to need defrosting…" She caught him looking at her strangely. "What?"

"Nothing." Mokuba answered, but seeing she wasn't going to accept that, sighed and added: "I was just thinking that you're very like your mom."

Maya said nothing. That was said to her a lot, by the oldest teachers at school, by adults that had known her mom, and even by Mokuba and Rachel. She wasn't sure what to make of it. Something inside her didn't really like to be compared to someone who she didn't even know. Something didn't really like feeling unoriginal, feeling like a ghost of someone she couldn't remember. But maybe it helped them. So she said nothing.

At length, one of the teachers called out for everyone to line up and prepare to board. A final opportunity was given to say goodbye, and then they climbed onto the ferry that would carry them to their destination, heads counted on the way in. Maya felt excitement well up inside her. She had always loved the ocean; and now they were traversing it to reach five days to be spent on an island in the middle of nowhere, with hidden secrets, traps and dangers. It would be an adventure, and the spirit inside her longed for it, searched for it, embraced it. Like her parents, although she did not know it, she couldn't bear to lead a 'quiet' life. Excitement was the name of the game.

No-one went and sat in the seats inside the cabins as they were supposed to, but instead dashed out onto deck, to wave goodbye and shout farewells. Maya observed that they were mostly behaving as if this was that famous clip of people on the maiden voyage of the Titanic, as though they were going on some great journey.

But then, hadn't she said she felt that way to?

She gave a brief wave as the boat pulled away, but otherwise restrained herself. As the buildings began to fall away, and melt into an ever-widening river; heading for the sea. As those early minutes of the journey passed, people began to go below deck, away from the morning chill; but Maya remained up on deck, not caring if she was there alone. Each student was carrying a small bag, and from hers, Maya pulled out a battered notebook.

It was well-used, a tan cover that may have been brown, yellow, or white once. It's pages were worn from travel, slightly bent at the corners, a watery red stain of some sort. Yet, Maya held it carefully. This was her book, her journal- never a diary- that was for her alone. No-one knew she kept it; she only wrote in it when she was alone. That journal was the only one who knew everyone of her inner thoughts, her concerns; the only one she could be totally and entirely honest with, the only one that really listened to her. She liked to think she was writing it not for herself, but for the person that would one day find it and read it; and know her so well that they could be the best of friends. By thinking this way, by talking as though to a close friend, she had a confidant and companion, someone who knew her better then anyone else. And now she was alone again, she could speak once more.

**_I'm on the boat, on the way to the Island. I'm not sure what it's called now- originally, it was called 'The Duellist Kingdom', for the sake of a tournament, and I think the name was changed afterwards. Not that it matters. Everyone still calls it DK. It's probably been changed beyond recognition now- before, it was the home of a 'Battle Royale'-esque knock-out tournament, where the 'game' was as much about surviving as it was about cards. Nowadays, it's the base for a school trip- where the challenges and 'dangers' are all as harmless as a slow-moving pillow. I expect it'll just be assault courses and such._**

_**So what am I doing here?**_

**_You tell me. It was one of those things that seemed like a good idea at the time. I thought… I don't know. Maybe that being stuck on an island for five days with my peers would give me chance to be a little more sociable. I'm sure it will- the only flaw? I'm _not _sociable. I'm not a people person. Large groups are too noisy, too overwhelming, too varied; small groups are too confining. And people are all the _same_! These fashions, these cliques… Would it _kill _people to be individual?!_**

_**And that's why I can't socialise. I like being me. I like being me, by myself.**_

**_Unless, of course, I'm just a clone of my mother. Which is _so_ much better._**

_**…But I would like to socialise a little, my reader. You don't talk back. I don't even know who you are. Maybe you're a relative of mine. Maybe you're just someone who found this book in your loft, your cupboard, a skip. Maybe you're just me, fifty, seventy, eighty years from now. Maybe there's no-one there at all and I'm effectively talking to myself. But whoever I'm 'talking' to, you don't talk back. And that sucks. I'd kind of like to find someone here and now who I could trust, but so far, no-one's been up to the standards you want in a friend. Not for me, anyway. Maybe my standards are too high, and I'm doomed to be alone. I can't help think that would be better then befriending some of the plebs I'm stuck with on a daily basis. Which is probably half my problem.**_

_**But I'm scared of being alone. Look at my dad. He's alone. He's also cynical, depressed, and probably a lot more beside- except I don't really know him. I'm supposed to be like my mom. I don't know about that, but I do know I sure don't want to end up like my dad.**_

They were out on open ocean now, but that wasn't what made Maya end the entry so abruptly, slam the book shut, and shove it hastily back in her bag. She could hear music. Someone singing, not too well, but cheerfully. It was singing out of happiness.

"_Walking down an empty road, heading my own way, on an endless journey; let me take your hand and bring you with me…_"

Maya frowned. It was that tune again, one of those little jingles that everyone knew; but no-one knew the full version of, no-one was entirely sure of the name. She'd heard it called 'The Dog Star Blues' and occasionally 'Wherever Soul'. It was defiantly that distinctive blues riff, but the words were not ones she recognised. She didn't even think it _had _words. A boy's voice came now.

"Is that how it goes? I didn't think those were the words." He said, echoing Maya's thoughts. "I thought it went sorta like… _Will you wander your own way, beneath the stars and moon? Shines brighter then the rest- doing the Dog star Blues_."

Maya frowned again, and decided to go and investigate. She was curious despite herself- she knew the tune well, had done since she was tiny, but every time someone heard it, they seemed to find different words. It was a puzzle for her… She went to the other side of the small deck to see Yami and Michael by the edge, the latter slumped on the top of the railing and the former smiling at her.

"Hey, Kaiba." She said, sheepishly. "Hope we didn't disturb you with our _atrocious _singing…"

Maya shrugged and went to lean next to Michael. "I just didn't think that song had words…"

This time, Yami shrugged. "Hey, it doesn't matter- it's fun to sing it your own way."

Maya searched for something to say. She _had _wanted to socialise, after all. "It'd be interesting to see how many different versions of the words there are."

"It'd be more interesting to find out what the _real _words are." Michael commented. "It's one of those things that will always bug me, you know."

"It'd help if we knew what it was called." Yami chuckled.

"The Dog Star Blues." Maya said, immediately. "Or, sometimes, Wherever Soul."

"So mine _do _fit!" Michael said, triumphantly. "But… how the heck did you know that, Kaiba?"

"I don't know. I just… always have. It might not even be right." Maya replied. "And, for goodness sake, stop calling me Kaiba! It's so annoying, when we've been in the same year group for the entirety of our school careers!"

"Okay, _Mac_, calm down." Yami said, sounding vaguely amused.

Maya raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me? Did you just say 'Mac'?"

Yami nodded happily. "Sure! Your middle name _is _Asuka, isn't it?"

"Yes, but-"

"Well then! _M_aya _A_suka _K_aiba. M-A-K. Mac. You see?"

"…Not really." Maya admitted.

"Give it up." Michael advised. "She does this to everyone. I'm surprised if she calls me the same nick-name two days in a row. I think I'm… what? 'Boo' at the moment?"

"No." Yami said, defensively. "Today you're _Sweetpea_!"

Michael began to bicker happily with her, with the air of the old friends they were, while Maya felt increasingly in over her head.

These people were _weird_.

But, as their insults descended into gasping laughter, she couldn't help but want to hang around. She'd never heard anyone laugh like that.

"Yeah, well, at least I'm not named after your dad's ancient Egyptian alter-ego." Michael shot back.

"That's not even funny. Do you _want _to be thrown overboard?"

"I'd like to see you try, short stuff."

"Being short means it's very easy to reach your personal area."

"Yeah? Try that threat again when you hit five feet."

"Um, excuse me!" Maya put in, stopping Yami from retaliating. They looked at her in surprise. "…Um… 'your dad's ancient Egyptian alter-ego'…?"

Yami sighed theatrically. "Don't even ask."

"It's our dads- hers in particular." Michael explained. "They liked to tell stories about their duels and whatever, but they threw in a load of fairy stuff. And, to this day, her dad _insists _she's named after his ancient Egyptian alter-ego that helped him to duel."

"Stop it, it's horrible!" Yami wailed. "It's so _stupid_! It's like the plot of a bad manga! I can't take it!" She descended into false dramatic sobs. Michael ignored her.

"Your dad was in those stories, to. Didn't he ever tell you?"

"No, can't say he did." Maya answered, but was suddenly intrigued. "Although… he _did _mention something about duelling your dad, Yami, on top of a castle…"

"Oh, yes!" Yami said, suddenly perking up. "I can tell you exactly what happened- according to my dad, anyways. See, your uncle was trapped in the castle, and your dad was out to save him at any cost, and so Pegasus- who had stolen your uncle's soul and my great-granddad's soul and put them into cards- told him the only way to get his brother back was to duel Yugi for the right to duel him, and so then our dads duelled, _again_, and then your dad almost won, but then my dad pulled it back at the last minute, so your dad said 'Oh no!' and stood on the edge of the castle and claimed that if my dad attacked him then he would fall- even though it's just a hologram, so how that works I don't know- but then my dad's Egyptian alter ego attacked anyway, and my mom yelled 'Don't do it!' so my dad yelled 'STOOOOOOOOOP!' and then your dad won, but got beaten by Peggy anyways, so my dad had to save him."

Maya blinked at her. "…Well, I'm lost."

"I don't think she took a breath in that whole thing." Michael commented, wryly.

"Heh…" Yami said, sheepishly. "My dad's a little weird. He loves telling these sort of stories… it's a little annoying, actually. Silly, right?"

Maya shrugged. "A little, but… At least your dad told you stories. My dad never could."

"But he was world champ for _ages _before my dad came along!" Yami protested. "He's never told you anything!"

"He's not like that." Maya explained. "He's pretty quiet. I guess… I guess he doesn't see the point in reminiscing about the past." For a while, they stood in silence. "But… in your dad's stories… Was my dad _always _the villain like that?"

"More a rival." Yami considered. "But yeah. More or less."

Maya thought about this for a second. "Okay." She said, eventually. "Yeah. I can see that…"

The three of them stood on that deck of that small boat and chatted for the rest of the journey. It was, quite possibly, the longest Maya had ever spent talking to someone her own age. But they were not as alone on deck as they thought, and such a thing was more important then they thought. On one side, several pairs of eyes bored into them.

"Is that her?"

"Of course!"

"She doesn't look so tough…"

"Don't let your guard down. That's how she does it. That's why we want her."

"She didn't join any of the others that wanted her."

"They didn't provide the same… motivation…. We will."

"Right."

On the other side, a single pair of eyes was not nearly so conversational. There she was, that girl with everything. She had more money, more ability, more musical talent, more of _everything_. But this time, that arrogant, ignorant piece of work would be taught a lesson. The plan began to unfold. It seemed she would be able to something becoming increasingly dear to Kaiba, as she laughed at what he said.

Laughed. How sickening.

Perhaps it was a kidnap. Perhaps it was a rescue. But it wouldn't matter, if it would hurt her.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_It was early days yet. He still didn't seem to have noticed that she and Mokuba had taken up residence there for that past month. He didn't seem to be noticing much. The house might have more people in it, but nowadays it was so quiet, so solemn, so very silent. There were tears. There was even laughter, laughter at some memory, that seemed uncanny and unnatural. And they all just kept on living._

_That day, Rachel was in the kitchen with him. He was making tea. He didn't say much nowadays, even when various friends had come over to try and talk to him. He didn't want to talk, and he certainly didn't want sympathy. Not from them, anyway. But it couldn't be good for him to keep it all inside. That day, she was going to ask him._

_"Seto…" She said, hesitantly. "Please, talk to me."_

_"About what?"_

_"About… about anything." She pleaded. "Just say something. Tell us how you're feeling…"_

_Seto remained silent while the kettle boiled. "How I feel?" He repeated, dully. "How am I supposed to explain how I feel? How am I supposed to say what I feel like when I realise I've cooked too much food, or made too many drinks, or that I've just called someone who doesn't exist anymore? You think there's a word to say how it hits you when you wake up more alone then you've ever been?" He looked at her, and snorted. "And you think that I can talk to you. I've… only ever been able to talk to one person, and she's gone. Deal with it."_

_Rachel said nothing, but instead turned to tactfully leave. Just before she left the door, he spoke again._

_"Sorry." He said, uselessly. "I'm sorry… I don't mean to… but it just feels like…" He trailed off helplessly. _

_"I miss her." Rachel said, quietly._

_"Lucky you." Seto answered, even more quietly. "You miss her. I still love her."_

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"There it is!" Someone yelled excitedly. They'd not long had lunch, and now the island loomed ahead of them, small but brilliant in the afternoon sun. Maya, Michael and Yami, who had not moved from the deck, were there, crammed in amongst all the others, straining for a view. "The Duellist Kingdom!"

"The beaches are so clean!"

"There's so many plants!"

"Oh, the castle! Everyone, look at the castle!"

"Where?" Yami asked, looking around. "I don't see it!"

"There!" Maya exclaimed, pointing. "That's where we're staying."

Exclamations of astonishment and awe echoed through the students, while the staff, who had done this before, smiled in satisfaction. These kids were in for the time of their life.

The ferry pulled up on the pier, and there was a minor scrum as everyone piled off, eager to explore this new place or even just to be back on land. Michael was one of the latter.

"I just decided- I don't like boats." He stated, simply.

"Don't worry, we're getting off." Yami pointed out as they to came out onto the sand. One of the teachers gathered them around into a group.

"Okay, folks- it'll take a while to get all the luggage off the ferry. You _will _all be expected to carry it from the beach to where we'll be staying, but for now… We'll unload, and you guys- in groups of _at least _two- can go and get your bearings."

An almighty cheer deafened out his next words. He lifted a hand for silence.

"Listen, listen- safety first, I'm afraid. Stay away from the edges of cliffs, and the darker caves- some have lights in- if you get into trouble, we're here, on the beach, and don't let the snakes bite."

"I hope he's joking…" Someone muttered.

"Be back here in an hour!" The teacher continued. "Now, go on! Have fun!"

Maya closed her eyes. Pairs. Why was it _always _pairs…?

"Mac!" Yami yelled. She and Michael had already made it half way up the beach. "Come on! We're going to go look for those caves!"

"My dad told me they lead into some underground mazes!" Michael added. "And we only have an hour!"

"Come on!" Yami said again, hopping with excitement.

Maya hesitated a second longer. She'd barely spoken two words to them before that day, and their fathers had always been rivals…

But what the heck? Her father wasn't here. It wouldn't hurt. She ran to join them.

They moved quickly across country, walking across open spaces, spotting a climbing wall, an archery range, an assault course. There were hills and rocky alcoves in the cliffs down to the beach, dense forests and places where the undergrowth was so sparse it seemed almost wasteful.

"There's every type of terrain here." Maya commented. "I can see why it was the beginning of Field Power Bonuses…" Michael nodded in agreement, but Yami just looked between them in confusion.

"The what now?" She asked, bewildered. Maya blinked at her.

"What?"

"What what?" Yami answered, cheerily.

"What 'the what now'?"

"What what the what now?" Yami laughed.

"…It sounds like rapping." Maya commented, repeating it again with a little more rhythm. Giggling helplessly, Yami added in her best beat boxing.

"This is disturbing." Michael commented to the tree next to him, and then leant in and whispered into Yami's ear. "It's the power-ups you get depending on the style of the area, by the way."

"Oh…"

"Oh what?" Maya asked, curiously.

"What oh what?" Yami smirked.

"Stop!" Michael insisted. "For the sake of mine and Maya's sanity, can we _please _go and find these friggin' caves?!"

"Sure!" Yami declared. "Onward!"

Maya, who had always been tall, looked over her head and at Michael. "Is she always this hyper?" She asked, and he nodded gloomily. Maya looked down at the ground, feeling a little overwhelmed. Mokuba was quite witty in his own way, but it wasn't just giggling at nothing, at nonsense. Most of the time. This situation was entirely alien to her. "I'm so confused…" She groaned, still baffled from the 'what' conversation. She had truly never seen- or heard- anything like it.

"You get used to it." Michael assured her. "Hey, there's one…" He pointed at a rock face to the left, with the dark, gaping maw of a cave entrance. The effect was somewhat marred by the fact that there was a large number four painted above it. "Number four?"

"I think all the caves are linked together by the catacombs." Yami answered. "They must be littered about all over the island."

"Only one way to find out." Michael shrugged, and they headed towards it. Maya was suddenly stricken by a feeling of claustrophobia. She still had that dream, the one of the small dark space, and her cave would not be her first choice of where to hang out. Yet, she went anyway. She had never let fear stop her from doing anything.

As it turned out, she had psyched herself up for nothing. There was a sign outside the cave, forbidding them to enter without an instructor. As it was, Maya felt inclined to ignore it, but the other two pulled her away. In some ways, she felt relieved. She didn't have to go in, at least not now, and no-one could accuse her of being scared. No-one.

For what remained of their hour, they searched about for the other entrances, wandered through the woods, and generally hung around until it was time for their reluctant return to the beach. Hands clamoured for bags, name tags examined and yelled out, possessions chucked to their rightful owners; and as the skirmishes continued the exodus began, streaming off the beach and up towards the castle.

"What's with all the steps?" Yami said, looking up at the immense climb before them.

"Impressions." Maya said, dryly, beginning the ascent. "Everything's politics. When Pegasus built this place, he wanted a match with him to appear as unobtainable as possible, right?"

"That, or he wanted us to have ripping big muscles by the time we get there." Michael said, unimpressed, heaving his suitcase up another few steps.

At length, they reached the castle, and streamed through into the foyer, shoes tapping on the marble floor, gasping at the columns and arched windows around them. They were shocked by the ornate patterns in carvings, glass and ceilings alike, and for a moment, it was all people could do to stand and stare.

"It's beautiful!" Yami cried. "I can't believe this is where we're staying! I feel like a princess!"

"Don't get too excited." Michael answered, shaking his head. "This is just the entrance."

"This is all to impress and intimidate." Maya agreed, unimpressed by the ornate surroundings. "The dorms probably won't be anything special."

"Speaking of which, I need to go and find someone to share with…" Michael remembered, and with that, disappeared into the crowds.

"We have to chose?" Maya asked, suddenly worried. "I thought the teachers would assign us…"

"Nope, we have to get into pairs! There's little rooms with bunk-beds." Yami answered, and then smiled. "Hey, do you-"

"Yami!" Someone interrupted. "Can I share with you?" A girl, just a tiny bit shorter than Maya, came dashing over, smiling. Maya began to study an interesting piece of wall.

"Well…"

"Please? It'll be fun!" She insisted, before adding "Besides, I never get to speak to you as much as I like, and as this is our last trip…"

"Sorry." Yami said regretfully, much to both Maya's and the girl's surprise. "Maybe you can sit with us at meals? The thing is, I was just about to ask Maya…" She turned to face the person in question. "Unless you don't want to." She completed.

"Sure." Maya answered, containing her glee. "I'll share with you."

"Sorry, Asuka…" Yami said, sounding as though she meant it. Maya echoed the sentiment, though she sure as anything didn't mean it. As soon as the girl left, she smirked with delight.

"Ha! That showed her!"

"I take it you don't like her." Yami said, quizzically. It seemed that even though they shared a name, these two were not friendly.

"More she doesn't like me." Maya snorted, folding her arms. "She's constantly trying to outdo me. Come on- let's go get a room before all the good ones are gone…"

As it was, Maya had nothing to worry about. The room was small, long and thin, with just room to walk along the length of the bunks; but it was painted a cheerful yellow, there was light and a radiator, and, more importantly, a large window that opened directly out over the cliff face. They opened it wide and the two girls stood before it, inhaling ocean air.

"I think we got a good one." Yami decided, breathing deeply in.

"Us to!" A girl called from next door, waving. All along the edge of the castle wall, people's heads were appearing, voices calling out. Distantly, they could hear the boys doing the same on the other side. The rooms were located on the balconies they'd seen on the second floor, above the entrance hall; and this was the route they took when it was time to head down for their first meal on the island. The 'mess room' was full of tables for six or eight people, and Maya ended up joining Yami and Michael on one, along with two guys named Tatsu and Ken. Next, three girls came to complete the table. One was Asuka. The other two, Fai and Sayaka, were friends of hers. Luckily for Maya, she was at the other end of the table. She could stand that.

"A toast!" Tatsu declared, as Asuka slid into the empty seat next to Michael, opposite her two friends. "We really ought to…"

Yami raised a glass. "Yes! Live long!"

"And have fun!" Ken added. There was a clink of glasses as the sentiments were echoed, first by their own table, and then by those around them. Outside the window, the sun began to show the first signs of setting, and still, so long on, Michael hadn't finished. Practically everyone was already out on the beach, enjoying the evening and the last of the daylight, and they were still here.

"I've never known anyone eat so slowly…" Maya commented, quite amazed.

"You haven't seen my dad eat." Michael answered, darkly. "It'd put anyone off…"

"He has a point there." Yami laughed. "But still, can we hurry this up a bit, Eric?"

"Eric?" Michael echoed. "I thought I was 'Sweetpea'!"

"Whoever you are, you're still a slow eater." Yami shrugged, leaving her companions as baffled as ever.

"You go ahead." Michael answered for the umpteenth time. When they'd waited, they hadn't realised how long it would take. "I'll catch up." They didn't really have much of a choice, so Maya and Yami dashed away; to get suitably dressed, and left Michael to it. At least he wasn't all alone. It seemed Asuka was as slow an eater as he was. She'd been talking to Fai and Sayaka, mostly, but now she smiled at him.

"I could never eat fast." She shrugged. "Gives me stitch."

"Same here."

And somehow, from those simple beginnings, they didn't run out of things to talk about. Meanwhile, Maya and Yami were having a reasonably eventful time outside.

The Yankees were here. No-one was quite sure why- if they didn't want to be in school, why on earth would they want to be on the residential?- but they were here, and, in actuality, the reason was about to become only too evident. Kaiba was paddling down in the ocean, along with Yami. They were chatting quietly, secluded from the main group, near some rocks. Perfect to be ambushed.

They were talking about music, nothing major, when Maya noticed. "They're surrounding us." She muttered, quietly.

"Who are?" Yami asked, resisting the urge to look around.

"The Yankees."

"What?! Why?"

"They probably either want me to join them or fight them." Maya said, casually.

"What are we going to do?" Yami hissed.

"What else? Run like hell!" Maya declared, doing so, before a full circle could be formed. Not knowing what else to do, Yami followed.

And so did the gang.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_Things were getting very, very, freaky. Mitsan had just disappeared, into thin air. There was no way she could have run away with none of them noticing, they had had her surrounded. But she had just been there one moment, staring up at Ami, and had then disappeared._

_But before that, Ami was sure the girl had winked at her. Which made her very annoyed indeed._

_"She disappeared…" One girl muttered in awe._

_"I told you!" Another screamed. "I said there was something odd about her! She must have magic powers! No wonder she got Seto to like her! He's cursed!"_

_"An evil spirit!"_

_"A demon!"_

_"Oh, shut up!" Ami yelled at them. "There's nothing to worry about! We'll get her next time…"_

_"But what do we do now?" Another piped up, whimpering. Many had run away in the panic and the numbers were small now. Only those more scared of Ami then spirits and demons had stayed._

_"We try again." She said, eyes narrowed. "She can't hide forever. And when she does come out, we'll get her. And we won't give her _time_ to disappear!"_

_"But I don't want any curses on my head…"_

_"You won't!" Ami insisted, exasperated. "She won't get time to pull anything, once I figure out what we're going to do next…"_

_"How about you move so people can walk?" An icy voice suggested. As one, the group turned to see the figure and icy blue eyes of the one they idolised. "Get out of here." He said, sounding disgusted._

_And they went._

_"Vultures…" He muttered, thoroughly racked off. Then he looked up at Azreal._

_"Hi." She tried. _

_"Having fun?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow at her._

_"So-so." Azreal shrugged. Which was easier said then done, seeing as she was clinging onto a lamppost, wings wrapped around it for extra grip. "I just had a run-in with your fan club." She spread her wings out, and flipped over, dropping the two or three metre drop without hesitation._

_"My…_What_?" Seto demanded, feeling slightly happier when she regained her human form and it didn't look too much like he had been talking to a lamppost._

_Azreal did not reply, looking at one of the side alleys. _

_"They're watching us…" She muttered. "Demon, indeed! How insulting…"_

_"Let's give them something to watch." Seto said, annoyed. He grabbed Azreal's hand (Not that she was complaining) and they set off at a brisk trot down the road. With his free hand, Seto made a rather insulting gesture at the alleyway_.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

His phone was ringing. Mokuba pulled it out of his pocket, and looked at the number. He smiled- it was Serenity. Squashing down a laugh, he answered.

"Hello, Taste Great Pizza! Can I interest you in our three for one special?" He asked, cheerily, in the youngest voice he could.

"Um, hi, um, sorry, wrong number." Serenity's voice came, flustered.

"Do you want to order?" Mokuba asked again, voice still disguised.

"Um, no, bye." Serenity said, hurriedly, hanging up.

A moment or two later, his phone rang again, and, again, Mokuba answered.

"You have reached the Pseudonym sales service," He said, in the most computerised voice he could. "Identity protection specialists! All our representatives are busy right now, but your call is very important to us, so please hold. You are currently number forty five in our queue." He held the receiver up to his radio in order to get that authentic waiting music. He distantly heard Serenity screaming in frustration and laughed quietly to himself, silently thanking an old friend of his who had taught him to throw his voice. Sure enough, a moment or two later, his phone rang a third time.

"Welcome, caller…" He said, in the most mystic voice he could this time. "You have reached the Telephone Psychics. Please, state which service you require."

"Well, I have a bit of a problem…" Serenity sounded a little distressed.

"Say no more!" Mokuba screeched. "I shall find your problem by means of _teledivination! _Hmm… Mmm… Yes… I sense you want to communicate with someone important, but cannot reach them…"

"Actually, I just want advice on how to _murder _my boyfriend," Serenity said cheerily. "Who _persists _in acting six years old instead of six times that, and won't answer his phone."

Mokuba smiled in amusement. So. She really _had _known from the start.

"Hmm, a problem indeed…" he mused, still in the mystical voice. "But, it is my duty to assist… You hang up the phone and try to ring him again. I shall try to communicate _telepathically_ with him to ensure he picks up…"

"Fine." Serenity sighed.

The phone rang again. Mokuba picked it up.

"Serenity! Oh, my gosh, how _weird_! I was just thinking about you!" He said, gasping.

"Really." She deadpanned. He smirked.

"Yeah, it was like a voice was whispering to me… 'SERENITY! SERENITY!'!" He declared.

"Oh, stop it." She said, in mock irritation, though he was sure she was chuckling.

"So, what's up?"

"Well, I've been invited to yet another of these women's meetings tomorrow… You know, the ones that always say 'Well, I think it's _wonderful _for a woman your age to be unmarried, dear… shows independence! Of course, back in my day…" Serenity dropped the voice of an upper-class crone and groaned. "Urrgh, makes me sick. And this one is an embroidery lecture. Honestly…!"

"So you want me to come and make things more interesting?" Mokuba guessed, grinning.

"Well, you could…" Serenity said, slowly, in such a way that he thought again.

"Oh, I just remembered!" He groaned. "I have this _extremely _important business meal with a man from Yugoslavia. Yes, we're going to that posh restaurant up on the High Street. What a shame- I so wanted you to be my date; but now you're busy… Oh, cruel fate… what a poor impression I shall make…"

"Oh, no, I couldn't let you do that!" Serenity said, equally dramatically. "I can't let you risk your company! I shall have to forgo the lecture and accompany you instead; for all things must eventually be sacrificed!" She paused. "…That thing about the Yugoslavian coming over. It _is _true, isn't it?"

Mokuba shrugged. "Yes. Metaphorically speaking."

"That's all I ask." Serenity giggled. "Well, see you tomorrow."

"Great." Mokuba smiled. "Try to learn some Yugoslavian." He hung up, and looked around at the exasperated faces of his team, who had been distracted from their work by the bewildering conversation.

"What was all that about?" One asked, curiously.

"I just got a date." Mokuba shrugged cheerily.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Michael was down on the beach, his trousers rolled to his knees and up above his ankles in the water; along with many of the other students. It was just too good an opportunity to miss. The sea was still clinging to the last degrees of warmth, the waves lapping gently, restlessly, the setting sun changing the whole thing golden.

"It's beautiful." Asuka said, happily, echoing his thoughts. The two of them were standing with half a dozen or so other people, mingling happily enough; but somehow always ending up back together. She was right, the view was beautiful. But, Michael couldn't help but notice, so was she. Her hair was a sandy brown, closer, really, to blond; it was pretty short, but somehow looked just right. She was dressed casually enough in a sleeveless vest top and some shorts, saving her the need of rolling them up, and her dark green eyes were somehow catching the last of the light and reflecting it.

"It is." Michael agreed, earnestly, dragging himself away from Asuka's lovely face and figure and back to the view she was referring to. From the corner of his eye, he noticed movement on the cliff at the edge of the bay. Other people were beginning to notice to.

"Is someone up there?" One boy asked, shielding his eyes with a hand.

"Looks like those Yankee girls." His mate commented, gawping to. "…Is that Kaiba up there with them?"

"Looking at their heights, I'd guess her and Yami." The first agreed, looking at the short and tall figures. "Hey, Mike- what are they doing up there?"

Michael didn't answer. He took an involuntary step forward. It _did _look like the two girls, it was true; but they were so close to the edge, and the Yankees were closing in. What on Earth were they playing at…?

And then they fell. Or, at least, they weren't on the cliff anymore.

"Did they… jump?" Someone asked, bewildered.

Michael didn't particularly care the means by which they came down; if they fell, jumped or were pushed; but he _did _care when they hit the water, pretty far out, with an enormous splash. He waded forward now, half swimming, ignoring how wet he was getting and the fact he couldn't really do anything, because it was better then doing nothing. He moved forward with a deliberate urgency. Asuka came and caught up with him, grabbed his arm.

"Do you want to drown?!" She demanded. "They've gone to get the teachers. They'll be fine. Don't you go out there to!"

Michael looked at her, saw that she, smaller then him, was in water past her waist, and as soaked as he was. He also realised that if he went out there, she would follow.

"Fine." He growled, and turned, heading quickly back to the beach.

"There's a boat!" Someone cried, suddenly, and he turned around _again_ so quickly that he fell onto his back in the shallows. But they were right. Just visible was a small boat, probably for fishing. "Maybe it'll save them!"

_Please_. Michael thought. _Please do._

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_Az was relieved when the plane landed. It had been a long, hard trip. What had started as a recreational trip to a Jazz festival with people of similar interests had turned to a nightmare, fighting monsters, having souls stolen, a floating city, and losing sight of who she was. She still wasn't entirely sure, but at least she wasn't evil anymore. But, more then anything else, she just wanted to see her family and better yet crawl under her bed covers and go to sleep. People said that things look better in the morning._

_Unfortunately, things were never simple. The plane door opened to reveal an ocean of reporters, all very excited about Kaiba Land's imminent opening and cameras with excessively blinding flashes. Which they used lots. Very quickly._

_Az had faced the media before, and it hadn't ended well. She immediately backed away from the door, and in her distress, hissed anxiously "What do we do?!"_

_"Az…" Seto said, slowly, with a funny look on his face. "Do you trust me?"_

_She nodded cautiously. "Yes…"_

_He snatched her hand, holding it tight. Az began to get a sinking feeling. "Mokuba?" Seto demanded._

_"Ready!"_

_"Seto…" Az said, uncertainly._

_"…Don't be ashamed." Seto muttered to her, which was his general advice for dealing with the papers. Then, before Az knew what was happening, he _launched _them out of the plane. She was dragged behind as they shoved their way through, running through the afternoon sun. She laughed a little giddily, because, despite it being one of the single most terrifying experiences of her life; it was also rather amusing. _

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"You've got till the count of five." The leader snarled, from behind her mask. Behind her, the girls glowered, beating implements against their hands; everything from poles to branches. They were cornered. On top of a cliff. And those girls weren't even out of breath. "One."

Yami swallowed a little. This wasn't looking too good. Unless…

"Please…" She whispered to her companion. "Tell me those rumours about beating five gangs were true…"

"Two."

"Afraid not." Maya muttered distractedly, looking behind her. They were practically on the edge of the cliff already, with nothing but a sheer drop into the sea. "Actually, I've never been in a physical fight in my life." She added, pensively. "It's odd. Everyone's always been too scared of me before…"

"Oh. No." Yami stated, matter-of-factly.

"_Three_."

Excited, the whole group surged forward a little. Maya and Yami both instinctively took a step back, earth scuffling beneath their feet. A pebble skittered over the edge.

"Four!"

"Yami…" Maya said slowly, with a funny look on her face. "Do you trust me?"

Yami hesitated, wondering what kind of crazy plan the girl had, and then back at the group of threatening girls. The choice was clear.

"Right now? Implicitly!" She declared.

"Good." Maya smirked.

"Five!" The ring leader interrupted, and the Yankees headed for them; but did not reach them. As the final number had been called, Maya too had yelled.

"Then jump!" And she had grabbed Yami's wrist and flung them both into the ether.

The Yankees blinked, some venturing to the edge to watch them drop.

"She's bonkers." One declared; and the sentiment was seconded and agreed with. Not sure what to do with the rest of the week now, they wandered away.

Meanwhile, Yami and Maya plunged through the air, screaming in fear and a little in exhilaration. Yami was almost sure Maya _whooped_ with pleasure. Then, it was all over, and they fell with an almighty splash into the unforgiving ocean. It was cold, out here, and the impact of the fall stinging their skin, air forced from their lungs. Luckily, both were decent swimmers, and surfaced quickly, gasping.

"You are _mad_!" Yami informed her, treading water.

Maya laughed manically. "That was _awesome_!"

"What?!" Yami demanded, remembering her abject terror. Then she considered. "…It _was_! I never want to do it again, but that was _awesome_! Don't _ever _do that to me again, though…" Maya laughed again, but then, both of them were swept away by a particularly large wave. Luckily, the sea was reasonably calm, but even so, they moved a metre or so further out. Instantly, they sobered up.

"We need to get back to shore…" Yami said, looking doubtfully back at the beach, where she could dimly make out a crowd of people. Maya nodded again, somehow avoiding getting salt water in her mouth. Then, she stopped treading water. Yami gasped, worried Maya was about to go under; but to her surprise, the water only came up to the girl's neck.

"Thought so." Maya said, cheerily enough, considering she was fully clothed and almost up to her chin in constantly moving water. "At least we won't drown… well, as long as we get back before the current gets too much stronger." Indeed, it was beginning to tug at her. If they weren't careful, they'd be carried even further out.

"Speak for yourself." Yami answered, worriedly, very aware she was a full foot shorter then Maya. "I'm not an excellent swimmer, either. And the tide's going in."

Maya rolled her eyes. "Relax. I thought you trusted me." She pointed behind Yami's head, where there was a small fishing boat bobbing it's way towards them. Maya must have spotted it right from the top of the cliff. Amazing. The boat cut it's way over, riding the swell. With each dip, curled green writing on the side of the little sail boat. A head stuck out of it.

"What are you doing out there?" A voice said, curiously.

"Um… hoping for a lift, mostly." Maya admitted, sheepishly.

A strong arm reached down, grabbing hold of Yami's hand, as hers was the closest. "Then climb aboard- I just want to know _why _you came from the top of the cliff!"

They really _had _just jumped from a cliff, Yami realised- if it was a low one or not. And they'd escaped, at least for now. Still… it was one of those things you couldn't go through with another person and not end up as friends. Perhaps this truly was the beginning of something.

Eventually, the two were pulled out of the water and onto the safety of the boat. As she climbed on, Maya finally got to read the name on the side.

_The Water Charmer._

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

A/N: And there it is! I'm actually not keen on the name 'Asuka'… but, I DO think it's the _best _spelling of 'Oscar' I've ever seen! (And yes, it is for girls. But you have to wonder… if I don't like it, why did I use it? A mystery…)

Something else I meant to say last chapter: A lot of the 'Az' scenes in this fic run along side this blog- (And there WOULD be a link, had accepted it the FIRST time I tried uploading, but the link's on my bio) – mainly starting from next chapter. Not necessary reading, of course, but it's there if you care. Actually, it's kind of ground to a halt at the moment… Any time I do have to write tends to go on actual chapters. _(Sweatdrop) _Ah well.

Now then, as always:

What happened to Az under the Seal of Oricalcos? Whatever happened to Tristan? Ryou and Jenna show up for the sake of it; but how did they get engaged? What romances await our heroes? And what- or who- awaits Yami and Maya onboard _The Water Charmer_…? Join me next time for **Fall or Fly Chapter Three- Sun**…


	4. Sun

A/N: What's this? An update at last? Despite writers block, time constraints, and, admittedly, a little laziness? Yay! At least it's long… I wanted to keep this fic short, yet it's already 25 pages or so long… _(Sigh) _Ah well! Coming up in this chapter- Az's role in the Oricalcos series! An assault course! Ryou's engagement! Tristan's story! Raft building! And the indications of some romantic feelings…?

Disclaimer: I do not own. As usual.

Three- Sun

Maya rolled her eyes. "Relax. I thought you trusted me." She pointed behind Yami's head, where there was a small fishing boat bobbing it's way towards them. Maya must have spotted it right from the top of the cliff. Amazing. The boat cut it's way over, riding the swell. With each dip, curled green writing on the side of the little sail boat. A head stuck out of it.

"What are you doing out there?" A voice said, curiously.

"Um… hoping for a lift, mostly." Maya admitted, sheepishly.

A strong arm reached down, grabbing hold of Yami's hand, as hers was the closest. "Then climb aboard- I just want to know _why _you came from the top of the cliff!"

They really _had _just jumped from a cliff, Yami realised- if it was a low one or not. And they'd escaped, at least for now. Still… it was one of those things you couldn't go through with another person and not end up as friends. Perhaps this truly was the beginning of something.

Eventually, the two were pulled out of the water and onto the safety of the boat. As she climbed on, Maya finally got to read the name on the side.

_The Water Charmer._

Sitting on deck, she wrung some of the water out of her hair. "Thanks." She said, looking up at the captain of this ship and smiling. "I appreciate it."

"That's just fine." He replied, not looking at her, but at Yami, who was doubled over, coughing up a little sea water. "Are you okay…?"

Yami straightened up. "I'm just fine now. It's a good job you were there. Thank you."

"No problem." He answered, though he still sounded concerned. Maya watched with interest. There defiantly seemed to be _something _there… She smirked to herself, and cleared her throat. The two jumped in surprise, and then dropped their gaze guiltily.

"So, may I ask your names?" He asked, as the three of them got to their feet. His skin was tanned, as though it had seen much of the sun, his hair was thick and black, sticking out at odd angles. He also seemed to be wearing only seventy-five percent of his clothes, with long shorts and a loose blue shirt that had sleeves down to his elbow. He seemed to be about their age, though as he returned to the helm of his small boat he seemed to have many more years experience then could be possible. He was a natural at sea.

"Oh!" Yami said, remembering they were just random strangers on his boat right now. "Yes- I'm Yami Motto, it's nice to meet you." She answered, formally.

The guy twitched a little in recognition of the name.

"I'm Maya Kaiba," Maya added, as they seemed to be going for the full formalities. "Thanks for the lift, um…?"

"Tomasu." He said, smiling shyly. "My name is Tomasu Tsunami, and this is my boat; the Water Charmer."

"Tsunami?" Maya echoed. "Now, that's a name I know."

"Yeah," Yami nodded. "Your dad was a famous water duellist, right?"

"That's him." Tomasu answered, shortly. "But, there's no need to ask who your parents are. Even so, I'd like to know how you came to be sitting in the middle of the ocean…"

"We jumped." Maya said, matter-of-factly, as Tomasu began heading for shore. "From the cliff."

"We were being chased by Yankees." Yami added, evidentially not thinking Maya's explanation had been adequate.

"Um… Why?"

A pause. Maya and Yami looked at each other.

"Actually, we never got around to asking…" Yami said, sheepishly. "We just legged it."

"I see." Tomasu lied. "So, what are you all doing all the way out on this island anyway?"

"School trip." Maya answered. "What about you? Shouldn't you be in school somewhere?"

Tomasu cleared his throat awkwardly. "Well… Yes… but I entered a race at the weekend, and… well, she isn't made for racing, and… we've gone a _tiny _bit off course."

"How much is a tiny bit…?" Maya demanded, but was ignored, as Yami hastily changed the subject.

"The sunset looks so beautiful out on the ocean." She commented.

"There's nowhere more beautiful in the world." Tomasu replied, smiling. "I've been sailing with my family since I was young, and I saved all my money for years; until I could buy an old boat from the scrap yard. She was in a terrible state when I got her, and I spent the next year patching her up, even naming her. The day dad said she was seaworthy was one of my best. Since then, we've been more or less inseparable, this boat and I."

"You did a good job." Yami answered. "…It must be nice to just be able to sail away…"

"No better feeling."

"It feels free." Yami laughed happily, as spray shot up from the side and splashed her a little. "She has a spirit all of her own!"

He nodded. "You should see her in a storm. Normally, a boat like this would capsize straight away, but my Water Charmer just keeps going."

The two of them continued to chatter away about the boat and everything else. Maya stood and watched the ocean, feeling a bit of a third wheel.

"Maya! Yami!" They were in shallow waters now, the boat about to run aground, and Michael had splashed his way out to join them, ahead of most of the students there. "Are you okay? What happened? Did you fall?"

Maya looked over to where Yami and Tomasu were still talking, oblivious to their surroundings. "One of us has certainly fallen…" She muttered, then hopped over the side, into the shallows; the boat unable to go any further in. She stumbled a little, but luckily, Michael grabbed her arm before she was able to make a total fool of herself.

"Maya, you just fell off a cliff." He said, exasperated. "Are you _sure _you're alright?"

"We didn't fall. We jumped." She informed him, sloshing her way back towards the beach. Michael planted himself in front of her.

"Do you not have any sense?" He demanded. "What were you playing at?! You could have smashed straight off those rocks at the bottom, Maya!"

"Well, we didn't." She answered, levelly. "So stop getting so het up over it!"

She forced her way past Michael, who was feeling quite bewildered. He didn't know of anyone who would willingly jump off a cliff and not be at all bothered by it.

He blamed the parents.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_Solo performance time. Anna swallowed nervously. Ever since she had been forced into the Young Musician of the Year awards, she'd been performing, despite the fact she had not come close to winning. Even so, you'd think she'd be used to it by now. Instead, the nerves were killing her still- and she was with such a friendly group. After being seen in the contests, she'd been invited to the International Youth Jazz convention in the States, and so far the trip had been fun, letting her meet like minded people and make new friends. When they performed in a group, it felt wonderful. But now she had to play on her own, she felt as nervous as anything. _

_"You'll be fine." Yaten, one of the lads on the trip with her reassured her, patting her shoulder. She'd really hit it off with him- he was a great guy. Kind, funny, a little bit bizarre; who seemed to love the things she did and hate the things she did. They never ran out of things to talk about, and even after knowing her for such a short space of time he could tell she was worried. "You're an awesome sax player. They'll love you! You have no reason to be nervous!"_

_She smiled gratefully at him, giving him a quick hug. Yet, he didn't know that there was more to her nerves then just stage fright. It was worry- Seto was out there somewhere. He'd missed some of her previous shows because of some incident involving his stocks, and so he'd sworn he'd come to this one- even if it meant coming so far across the sea. Now, that made her feel special. But what if, after all this, her playing wasn't worth it?_

_She needn't have worried. When she got up there, in front of a large crowd, she didn't have to look too hard to know he wasn't there. Swallowing her disappointment, telling herself there would be a good reason, she raised the saxophone to her lips and began. The music stopped her from thinking too much, put her in an almost trance-like state. Even so, she almost swallowed her instrument in surprise when she noticed several very familiar faces in the audience._

_Suddenly, she knew why no-one had been in touch online. _

_After the show, her friends came to her, congratulated her on her performance, but the sentiment was under a shadow. They were worried. She was confused, and naturally wanted to know what on Earth and in the Floating Cities they thought they were doing there._

_So they told her. Monster attacks in Domino. Some bikers using a strange card and stealing the God Cards. Souls going astray, Pegasus calling them here. Seto being blamed for the monster attacks._

_That made her angry._

_Very angry._

_And marginally confused, but she was used to that by now._

_Trying to get her head around it all, she went to be on her own for a while, and hid away in the cupboard where their instruments were kept, furiously typing onto her laptop just to try and get her thoughts in order. It was Yaten that found her, coming in to get his stuff for his imminent performance._

_"So this is where you're hiding," He said, warmly. "Why hide? You were great earlier."_

_"Nah, but thanks." She returned, absently. "Oh, are you next? Good luck!"_

_"Who were those guys you were with earlier?" He asked, nonchalantly, suddenly. "That Seto Kaiba of yours wasn't there, was he?"_

_Anna shook her head, still typing. "Well, no, but they were friends of mine. They…" She trailed off slowly, hearing the blare of motorcycle engines. "Oh, crud…"_

_"What's up?" Yaten asked, as she stood up urgently._

_"I have to go!" She said, flustered. "Oh, your performance! I'm sorry, I…" She floundered, looking back and forth between him and the door. She was fairly sure she wasn't supposed to ditch in the middle of a convention._

_"Oh, go on." Yaten shook his head. "I'll cover for you. Go with those friends of yours. Just promise you'll come back!"_

_She nodded and left, not realising the relevance of his words, nor noticing the feelings behind them. Yaten couldn't help but sigh._

_It seemed she was really hung up on her boyfriend, and he didn't even keep his promises. What a git. If it were him, he would make sure to never let her down. If it were him, if he could hold her, he wouldn't let go. _

If_ it were him. _

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Yami laughed raucously again, trying desperately not to spit her food out of her mouth, as Michael and Tomasu chuckled and even Maya smiled a little. Somehow, the girl's reaction was funnier then the anecdote itself, as Yami struggled to contain the marshmallow she was consuming, having finally managed to roast one on the bonfire the students were gathered around. Maya watched in vague amusement as Michael thumped her on the back, trying to stop her from choking.

"Gosh, if you can't eat and laugh at the same time, don't." He said in mock sternness.

"I'm a woman." Yami gasped, still giggling. "We can multi-task."

Michael snorted. "Right. It wasn't even that funny a story…"

"But… Just imagining you and your dad trying to put that tent out…" Yami began to laugh again. "You never told me about that before." She added, accusingly. Michael shrugged, and just then the flames flickered as a slight wind blew across the ocean and skittered over the beach, sending the sand shuffling as another wave broke. He looked out across it, the embers of the fire drifting over to drop in the water, and the others followed his gaze. The two elements meeting seemed somewhat beautiful that first night.

"I love the ocean." Tomasu said, suddenly, softly. He'd been hanging around with them all that evening, apparently having nothing better to do- and if any of the teachers noticed the sudden addition to their ranks, they didn't seem to care. He smiled slightly.

"It's so beautiful." Yami agreed, wistfully, watching more waves break on the shore. "…Can we go paddle?"

Tomasu nodded, and the two of them began to remove footwear, Michael joining in. They began to walk away over the cool sand, but then he paused, and turned.

"Hey." He called up to their previous spot. "You coming?"

Yami looked back too, seeming surprised. "Hey! Come on Mac, don't spoil the fun."

Maya gazed back at them, feeling somewhat surprised. She'd always been more or less left to her own devices- welcome to join in if she wanted too. But now she was being asked, invited. It was such a small thing… but it felt good.

She gave herself a mental shake not to get so emotional over meaningless things as she kicked off her sandals and moved to join them. Yami ran joyously into the sea up to her knees, Tomasu following somewhat more sedately beside her. Michael paused at the edge of the waves, waiting for Maya, and then the two waded in just a little way, up to their ankles. Standing there for a moment, she enjoyed the feel of the cool water, the sand moving beneath her feet, the smell of the salt.

"Want to take a walk?" Michael asked, and, nodding, the two set off, wading along parallel to the beach. For a while, they were silent, but, seemingly awkward with this, he attempted to make conversation. "Look… I'm sorry for yelling earlier. I guess it wasn't really any of my business…"

Maya shrugged. "Don't worry about it. See, recklessness is in the blood."

"Oh?"

She nodded. "Or so Mokuba- ah, my uncle- would have me believe. He insists that he once blew up a door using only a wrist watch and a couple of lemons."

Michael looked at her in confusion. "Um… why?"

Maya laughed a little at his expression. "Well, he was a major kidnap victim when he was younger, people trying to get at my dad…" She pointed up at the top of the castle gatehouse, squatting at the top of a cliff ahead of them. "He's pretty reckless too, if he really did threaten to jump from up there…"

Michael didn't bother to point out that she had just done a very similar thing, choosing to say instead "Why? Don't you know?"

"Well, my dad never talks much… Mokuba reckons that I must remind him too much of-"

"Stealth attack!" Yami yelled suddenly, appearing from nowhere and splashing them hard. Michael laughed and splashed back, even Tomasu shyly joining in. Maya threw water about absently, wondering if she would have been able to trust him enough to finish that sentence anyway. Actually, it was probably a good job she'd been interrupted. Then, the thunderous voice of the teacher, clearing them out of the water, still not noticing that there was one not of their number. They couldn't help but laugh silently as they moved back to reclaim their spot.

Unnoticed, Asuka began to put her socks back on. Good. She hadn't really wanted to go into the ocean anyway, if she could avoid it. As she did so came the whistle of a microphone, and then the voice of the young Geography teacher.

"Listen up, please, ladies and gentleman!" His voice came cheerily over some portable speakers. "Tonight is not entirely free time- we are about to commence and in depth study of an aspect of our culture and heritage that is loved the world over." There were groans, but he continued regardless. "I speak, of course, of the ancient art of… karaoke."

Cheers and laughter, this time, and names were shouted out; most met with more giggles. Suddenly, the first brave candidate went up, hyping it up for the crowd, chose his track on a little CD player, and treated them all to a performance that made up for in passion what it severely lacked in talent. Some people got up and began to sway and cheer, and soon they were all dancing.

"You should go." Michael told Maya, as she swayed a little self-consciously from side to side. Yami nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes! Defiantly!"

"Karaoke isn't really my thing…" Maya mumbled.

"Go on, I'd like to hear you sing again." Michael pushed. "You know you'd outshine anyone else here. We may as well hear _one _decent song!"

"Are you a singer, Maya?" Tomasu enquired, politely.

"Is she ever!" Michael put in before she could modestly dismiss the notion. "Go on!" He pushed her up towards the microphone, which the guy was just finishing with, and there was an almighty cheer. It seemed her reputation preceded her. Sighing, seeing she had no choice, she scanned down the tracks; eventually setting on the dance track to the song 'Heaven'. Smiling, because this was, after all, what she loved, she began to sing. She was so caught up in the song, she didn't notice everyone dancing, enjoying themselves. She didn't see Yami in hysterics as she tried to teach Tomasu how to reverse a box step. She didn't notice Asuka approach Michael, take his arm, and begin to dance with him. She was probably the only one. Could it be? That Michael and Asuka were an item? The idea was almost laughable, yet, to see them together…

Later that night, as they were finally forced up away from the cool sand and into their rooms, someone decided to breach the subject with Michael. He was seated on the bottom bunk, brushing tiny grains of sand from his feet; his room mate Tatsu already lying on the bunk above. He looked down on him and chose his words carefully.

"You seemed to be getting on pretty well with Asuka." He commented.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Michael answered defensively, sliding into his own bed. "And why am I on the bottom? My legs are a good inch longer then yours, at least…"

"Should have got here faster." Tatsu shrugged. "Anyway, come on, what's the deal with Asuka? You like her?"

Michael reddened a little. "Why ask something like that so suddenly?"

Tatsu leant over the edge of the bunk, and Michael could see the wry expression on his upside down face. "Because she's been flirting with you all day?"

Michael batted his friend's face in mild irritation, causing Tatsu's hasty retreat. "Don't be stupid."

"I'm not!" Tatsu huffed. "But what about it? What if I _am _right?"

"I… I don't know. She's pretty, I guess, and nice… and quite quirky too, in a funny way…"

"Hmm. What does Yami make of it all?"

"Why does that matter?" Michael shot back, genuinely confused by this.

Tatsu seemed equally bewildered. "Um… well, we all assumed you were all over each other."

"_What_?!" Michael sat up very suddenly and smacked his head off the bottom of Tatsu's bunk. His curses and his 'friend's' laughter echoed out of their room and was lost somewhere in the bowels of the castle, never making it to the girl's room, where Maya was climbing up onto her bunk and Yami was taking a last look out at the ocean.

"It's such a clear night." She commented. "You'd never see this many stars in the city!"

"How do you get so enthusiastic about things like that?" Maya sighed. "Go to sleep, already."

Yami laughed. "Sorry. I'm hyperactive, or so people tell me."

Maya did not dignify that with a response, deciding to change the subject. "Asuka seemed to be getting pretty friendly with Michael." She said, keeping her tone carefully neutral.

"I know!" Yami grinned. "Awesome, isn't it?"

Maya looked down at her quizzically. "You don't… mind?"

"Why would I? He's so shy- it's about time he got himself out there, don't you think?" She looked at Maya's expression critically. "You seem surprised."

"Well, you're always with him. I thought the two of you were a couple."

"Eww." Yami protested, but then saw the funny side of it and began to laugh. "Nope- see, our parents are so close; and being an only child, I grew up playing with Michael and then Wren. So dating him would be like dating a brother or something, I guess…"

"Wren?" Maya asked, blinking.

"His sister. Well, one of them. There's Lisa as well, of course, but she's a lot younger."

"Oh." Maya was about to continue, but Yami was still going.

"Then there's the twins, Ben and John."

"How many of them are there?!" Maya said, surprised. Yami grinned.

"Lots. It's a very… alive house."

"I'll bet…" Maya settled back into her pillows, trying to imagine what it would be like to live in such a busy house. Her house was always so quiet bar whatever music was playing- her uncle's rock, her father's Jazz, her own mix of whatever took her fancy. And what would it be like to have siblings anyway? Wouldn't it just mean there were tons of arguments? "I don't envy him…"

Yami chuckled, and turned away from the windows at last, drawing the curtains. As she did, she took a final look at a dim light almost hidden in the curve of the bay, bobbing in the ocean, and couldn't help but frown a little. She hoped it would be there in the morning.

That light was, of course, coming from the window of the tiny cabin of the Water Charmer. Inside that faithful vessel, Tomasu was drinking a mug of some sort of hot beverage, listening to and feeling the slight, calming movement of the ocean beneath him and trying to decide what to do. He had most certainly lost the race by now, and he should _technically _have been in school. Plus, his parents were probably worried.

But, then, it wasn't like he hadn't done this before. There would be other races, and he could catch up with his school work. And his parents probably weren't unduly concerned, the amount of times he'd sailed off for days before.

Then there was the small matter that he wasn't entirely sure how to get back to the mainland from here. Yet, if he waited till the end of the week, he could just follow their ferry back, surely.

Then there was the even smaller matter of the people here.

So it was probably better that he stayed, just so he could find a safe route home. That was the only real reason, and the fact that she was here was nothing but a small bonus.

Tomasu blushed at his own thoughts and went to turn off his light, so that here, in the middle of nowhere, the only light beyond the stars and moon was a solitary window, behind which Asuka was talking to Fai.

"You seemed to be getting on pretty well with Michael Wheeler today…" Fai wheedled, sensing she was onto something. "Anything you want to tell me, Asuka?"

"Not really." Asuka shrugged. "I'm just playing around. At the moment, anyway."

"Oh, come on. You could have any guy you want. Why him?"

"He has certain things that other guys don't." Asuka answered, cryptically. "We'll just have to see how it goes, no?"

But, so far, it was going pretty well.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"Ruth!" Ryou called upstairs, carrying plates from the kitchen to the table. "Come down, okay?"

"One minute! I have to wash my hands!" She called back.

"One minute, then." Ryou rolled his eyes. The two women in his life were just never ready for anything. Jenna emerged from the living room now, tapping a pen against her notebook and went to sit as the table. He put the food down, and she took the time to look up at him.

"Thanks." She mumbled distractedly, as Ruth came and joined them, sliding into a seat.

"Notebook off the table, my love." Ryou said in mock sternness to his wife, who merely replied in the form of the lyrics she was working on.

"Ryou? _Everyday, it's the same_, _See him sitting there on that same old train_, _Sitting in the same old seat…_" She trailed off, taking a bite of her food. "So. What's next?"

He shrugged. "How should I know? Is this the one for that Indie band?"

Jenna nodded. "Man, I _hate _writing Indie. Sounds great when it's done, but it's a nightmare to do. And I'm rubbish with lyrics. There's a rhyme in there… _Sitting in the same old seat_… Hmm…"

"_Some dead beat from a council street." _Their daughter piped up suddenly, pausing to eat a forkful of mash potato before continuing with. "_Heading down the route to nowhere."_

Jenna nodded appreciatively, writing it down, but did not stem the flow of creativity with praise just yet. "_Trying to avoid the pain… unavoidable…" _She mumbled.

"_Unobtainable_!" Ruth added, excitedly, leaning in to look at the book.

"_But pass him by…" _Jenna read as she wrote. _"He's sold his soul, doesn't want to know…"_

"_That guy," _Ruth suggested.

"_The one you used to be._" Jenna completed in satisfaction. "And presto chango, we have a first verse!" She gave her daughter a high five. "You're scarily good at this, Ruth."

"Alright. Now, please, put it away, and forget your work for a few minutes, right?" Ryou put in, removing the notebook and placing it out of reach on one of the sides. Jenna groaned and complained as Ruth giggled. Ryou smiled to himself, feeling very lucky. They had a pretty good life, the three of them. Jenna had continued to take commissions, made quite a bit of money from song writing. The wall of her study was adorned with the records of her top ten hits, of which there were around seven, and then, in pride of place, her two number ones. There were also pictures of their wedding, their honeymoon, and, of course, their daughter. There were similar pictures all around the house, and in his slightly more organised office a small pile of photograph albums, the favourites the ones from before they were married, back in their travelling days. There were only three photos on his desk, in amidst the mountains of paper work being a teacher generated; one of the three of them together, another of him and his sister many, many years ago; and the third from his last trip to Japan, for Anna's wedding. This one had been taken at the reception, and all his friends were there. On the edge, he stood, his hand just visible around Jenna's. Next to them, Joey was grinning like an idiot beside Tristan, his other arm wrapped around Mai's shoulders- who Ryou recalled had been rather reluctant to be photographed in such a way. On the other side was Yugi and Téa, just before she left for America. Then there was Mokuba, smiling happily and looking, now in his late teens, like he was going to be just as tall and handsome as, and perhaps even surpass his brother. Seto stood beside him, looking, for once in his life, happy, with his arms around his new wife's waist. She was holding him around the neck and grinning widely at the camera, eyes glowing. He often wondered, when he looked at that photo, what had become of her. They'd used to exchange E-mail a lot, but then, after Anna had given birth, she'd had less time; and, for some reason, about two years later, they'd stopped entirely, and she hadn't responded to any of his messages. It was a real shame too, as she was really the only link between him and the others, passing on his news to them and their news to him. In fact, as the correspondence had disappeared not long after his own marriage, they probably didn't even know they had a daughter, let alone one that was almost eleven now.

But was he ever lucky to have her. The day he'd become a father was one of the most bewildering, frightening, downright bizarre but wonderful days of his life. He looked across the table at the girl opposite him, pondering on the last ten and a half years, thinking about all the things that had happened. She was reaching the age where she would no longer merely accept what people told her, but was forming her own opinions. Actually, she had been for ages; reading books aimed at teenagers. Yet, Ryou thought, it was those opinions that would shape the adult she'd become one day. They had to help her make the right decisions; or at least to see when she'd made the wrong ones. He was probably the worst kind of person to ask about their kids, but he really was proud of her; and it still amazed him that she was somehow part of him. So lucky.

He'd been very lucky, really. First he'd found some amazing friends, then someone amazing to love. He remembered when Jenna had first suggested they give Ruth the middle name of 'Amane', and how much that had meant. He'd probably cried then, he usually did. But not out of sadness, not really. More out of gratefulness. To look at what he had was to look at all he wanted. No, life wasn't perfect- there were rows, irritations, things that went wrong, or people that let him down…

Still, it was pretty darn good.

"_Then a hope, a whispered word, about the House of Runaways._" Jenna commented, bringing him out of his thoughts in a snap. She was scribbling on the notepad again, her plate cleared.

"I thought I told you not to do that at the table?" Ryou inquired.

"You shouldn't zone out, then, dad." Ruth reprimanded. "You were away with the Fairies. Where do you go all the time, anyway?"

"Now, that's a secret." Ryou winked at her as she politely began to stack the finished with plates. "But I'll tell you it's pretty nice there."

"I have a place I go to as well." Ruth said, confidentially, before going on to describe an elaborate fantasy setting that she was apparently planning to use in her debut novel. Ryou considered wryly how he had no doubt that she could do it if she wanted to; as he listened to a complex description of this utopia. She went to tell a thrilled Jenna how there was an enchantress that had been sealed inside a tower that was just like her.

"So, what am I doing in this tower? Looking beautiful and waiting to be rescued?"

"No." Ruth said, sounding disgusted at the suggestion. "You could have got out ages and ages ago if you wanted. You just decided it would be easier to take the evil warlock down from the inside."

Jenna laughed as Ryou commented that it sounded just right to him. Then Ruth turned her attention to her father.

"You're there to." She added, as though it went without saying. "You're the knight that silently guards the tower, to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid; and so you can help her beat the warlock when the time comes."

"Sounds right to me." Jenna said, slyly echoing his earlier words. "So then, Roo. Tell me how this story actually goes…"

Ryou sat back, quietly listening to the conversation. He was in a good place right now.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_He was twitching again. Fidgeting. He was eating, yes, but it was in a fidgety way; playing with his fork or drumming his fingers on the side of his glass. He only got this way when something was on his mind; sometimes excitement, more often nerves. Jenna was getting rather impatient, because she knew he wanted to ask her something, and wouldn't be terribly disappointed if he did. She sighed a little._

_Ryou heard this and felt worse then before. How was he supposed to ask her? He'd been scared plenty over the years, in a way had almost become desensitised to fear, but it had him now, tying his stomach in knots. He'd always said that if something was worth doing, it was worth doing scared, but…_

_"Will you just ask, already?" Jenna said quietly, sounding almost amused. That surprised him. He swallowed._

_"So… um… you know what I want to say?" _

_"Yes." She rolled her eyes. "Go on, get on with it."_

_Ryou frowned, thinking that was somewhat easier said then done. "If you know what I'm going to ask, then why can't you just tell me the answer?" He asked, despairingly. Jenna shrugged._

_"Well, that would just be rude, wouldn't it? Come on, spit it out, it's not that hard…"_

_Ryou swallowed again, steadying himself. Then he looked up, met her eye, and dived in. "Fine. Jenna, will you marry me?"_

_She jolted forward in her seat, eyes widened in shock, spluttering. "…E… I… I thought you were going to ask what I wanted for my birthday!" She blurted. "Oh, my life, I'm so sorry! I totally killed any and all romance, and you wanted to… ask… the question! Why would you want to marry a mouth like mine? Gosh, I'm such an idiot- I never expected you to… I mean, not that I don't like it, but I was sure- when it's only two weeks away and all- not that you have to get me a gift, I just assumed-"_

_"Jenna." He said, quiet and shy. "You're babbling." _

_"I…" Her frantic speech suddenly deserted her, and she was left without a single word in her mouth, the wave of emotions washing them clear away. She stood, walked around the table, and grabbed hold of him; hoping her embrace would tell him all she wanted to say._

_"Yes?" Ryou asked, hopefully._

_"Yes." _

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"…Then, as you climb out from under the scramble nets, it's just a simple matter of taking the monkey bars across the stream, along the wobbly plank, and you're done! See who in your pairs can get back first!" The instructor finished, cheerily, as though the list of obstacles on the island's course was something to be enjoyed. Michael sighed.

"I have to say, this really isn't my ideal thing to be doing in the morning…" He commented quietly.

"I haven't had chance to do one for ages." Yami said, smiling. _Smiling_. Michael truly didn't understand her sometimes.

"I've never done one before." Two voices said together. One was Maya. The other was Tomasu, who had come and joined them shortly after breakfast. The teachers still hadn't noticed, and the students didn't care, so that was fine.

Well, almost fine. He'd like one of them in particular to care…

"Really? Never?" Yami answered, chuckling. "Then, be my partner. Come on, I'll race you."

"You're on." Maya smiled icily. "Just know this- I wasn't raised to lose."

Yami smiled pleasantly back. "Yes, well, neither was I."

Michael sighed, somehow knowing exactly how this was going to turn out. Tomasu, meanwhile, looked on in slight bewilderment as to whether this was friendly competition or not.

"I should warn you, Yami can get _really _competitive…" Michael tried. Maya shrugged, the glint in her eye suggesting she could match anything. No more was said between them as they waited for their turn. Finally, Maya and Yami were called up, and both were off like a shot, running to the first obstacles- over and under bars.

Before them were wooden hurdles, set to different heights, the idea being to go over one and under the next, alternating between. The first was barely at knee height, and Maya realised she was going to be practically on her stomach for this one. Her hesitation cost her, as Yami suddenly crouched low and ran under the hurdle first.

"At last!" She crowed, triumphant. "Being small pays off!" Then she ran straight into the next hurdle, which was up at chest height. "How the heck…?"

Maya passed her, vaulting smoothly over the beam and then throwing herself to the ground to get almost seamlessly beneath the next. Yami grinned. So that was how it would be. She stretched one leg up onto the bar, and swung over, hoping she could gain ground as they eventually ran for the next obstacle. It was obvious to all those watching that she had inherited her mother's grace.

The net shuddered as Maya made impact on it. She'd never done anything like this before, and it was fun. She couldn't help but smile as she put her feet in and began to climb up the A-frame. She made a good headway, but then, as the net shuddered with Yami jumping onto it, her foot slipped; and she suddenly found her leg falling all the way through the hole. Yami was quickly level with her, took in the situation, and helped her get untangled. They both began to climb again.

"What was that for?" Maya asked, as they swung their legs over the bar at the top. "This is a contest."

"Yeah, but it was my fault you slipped, right?" Yami replied. "But I will win."

Maya merely smirked, and then simply let go of the net, jumping a metre or more to the floor and setting off at a run. Yami frowned and climbed as fast as she could without missing her footing. By the time she had reached the ground, Maya had already begun the next task- the swinging tyres; a row of them suspended before them, when you had to climb from one to the next. Maya had a rhythm going, and with her longer reach, did it easily. Yami, however, had more difficulty but quickly realised that she would have to swing the tyres a little; and completed the row without slipping off once. She caught up with Maya at the entrance to the next obstacle, a crawl through a small dark tunnel; where the taller girl was hesitating.

"What's up?"

"Just making sure you didn't get killed on the tyres." Maya smirked back, and dived into her tunnel, Yami in the one next to her. Yami got out first, but less then a second before Maya came out and scrambled back to her feet. She was still struggling to regain balance as they came to the see-saws they had to run over and lost precious seconds preventing herself from falling off. Luckily, the opportunity to regain those seconds lingered just up ahead, with a net pinned close to the ground. In contrast to Maya's speed at getting up, she was very good at getting to the ground, whereas Yami was the other way around. As they emerged from beneath the net, she was back in the lead again. Then it was the monkey bars, above the stream. With sudden memories of children's playgrounds with her uncle, she jumped, grabbed the first bar, swung a little to get her centre of balance, and reached for the next with the rhythm that made her a musician. Then, she heard a little yelp, and turned her head to see Yami, a bar behind, hanging on by only one arm and looking a little precarious. She wouldn't be hurt if she fell; it would just be unfortunate. But Maya didn't want to win because her opponent fell, so she grabbed Yami's arm, got it back into touch with the bar, and swung on.

"Why did you do that?" Yami called out.

"I don't want to win by default!"

Yami laughed and the two raced for the wobbly planks before them. The trick to this was to take it slow, but just quick enough to beat the other. Maya finished a second before Yami, but the other was a fast sprinter and got the distance. As they finished, it was impossible to tell who won.

They stood in front of a disbelieving Tomasu and an exasperated Michael; the whole course having taken no more then five minutes. They were panting, sweating, covered in mud and grinning manically.

"A draw!" The instructor announced.

"A draw?" The two girls echoed disappointedly, looking at each other.

"This is unacceptable…" Maya murmured.

Yami nodded.

There was a slight pause.

"Go again?"

"Just what I was thinking."

And before anyone could protest, they were off.

"They do it twice, but it takes them half the time…" Tomasu pointed out, impressed despite himself.

Michael said nothing, listening to Asuka somewhere behind him complain how unladylike and undignified it was to just throw yourself into the mud; and smiled in amusement.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_By the time Anna got outside, her friends were already there, facing up against three bikers with awfully funny hair styles. On seeing her, they smirked._

_"Well, here she is, the star of the moment." One mocked._

_"We heard you play, it's quiet a talent." A second continued._

_"What a pity your precious Seto couldn't be here." The third grinned sardonically. Anna glared._

_"What do you want?" She demanded, as Téa placed a reassuring hand on her arm and Yugi- or, more accurately, Yami- began to argue with them._

_"You want to watch your tongue." One, called Alistair, replied and looked back at Anna. "And the question is not so much what we want, but what we have."_

_She stared, knowing somehow what he was going to say._

_"Why do you think that boyfriend of yours isn't here?" _

_"We have him."_

_"We can take you to him. If you do, maybe we won't take his soul just yet."_

_Anna looked down at the ground, silently, staring. Téa wrapped her into a hug, feeling her friend shaking. _

_"You had no cause!" Yami yelled at them, angrily. "Kaiba had nothing to do with this, and neither does Ann! You scum…" He glanced back over his shoulder at where Téa was still clinging onto the poor girl. "I promise you this- we'll get him back!"_

_And finally, Anna spoke._

_"There's no need." She said, quietly. Everyone looked at her in surprise as she pushed Téa off and met Alistair's gaze levelly. "They're bluffing. After all, if they already had Seto, one of the most powerful people in the country, what would they want with me, right…?"_

_Silence for a moment, and then the biker's began to laugh._

_"Ha, she's sharper then she looks!" Alistair commented. "Now I can see why that guy keeps her around! It figures he'd be unable to fall for someone's looks…"_

_"Yeah," A second biker agreed. "He probably just keeps her around for show anyway. It's not like he could ever love anyone."_

_"Nothing except that company of his." The third added. "But look where that is now, eh? He's got nothing and the Boss has it all!"_

_"He doesn't even have parents to run back to." The knife was twisted in deeper with Alistair's words. "I'll bet they're not even dead. I bet they ditched him as soon as they realised how worthless he and that brother of his were."_

_Now she was angry._

_"You guys are dead!" She yelled, leaping forward. Joey and Tristan grabbed her, trying to make her see sense, that she couldn't take them on. She stopped, but continued to yell. "What the heck kind of dirt are you?! What do you want from people?! Are you just out to feast upon people's hearts?! You're scum! Filth! People like you shouldn't roam the streets!"_

_"You want to fight? Do it in cards, babe." Alistair said, activating his disk._

_Two of the bikers merely laughed, kicked their bikes to a start, and drove off. The others went to go after them, then hesitated._

_"Go on. Chase them." Anna said, suddenly deceptively calm. "But I am going to take this guy apart."_

_"Ann, don't be dumb!" Téa protested._

_"You haven't seen them," Joey tried. "Ann, you wouldn't stand a chance!"_

_"I can flipping well try!" She snapped back. "This guy's been messing with my head since he got here! You have to go after the rest of them, but this creature is _mine_!"_

_They looked at her, silently. Then, somehow understanding that she had to do this, Yami handed over his duel disk, and lead them off after the others._

_"Promise you'll catch up later." Téa begged. She said nothing, slotting her deck determinedly into the slot. Her friends left, not knowing that when they returned there would be no sign of Ann, and Yugi's disk would be lying abandoned on the floor._

_Because, after she and Alistair were alone, things got a whole lot worse._

_He started to say… things. Things that she ignored at first, but slowly began to somehow make a twisted kind of sense. Influencing her. Preying on her feelings of resentment, commenting on how Seto wasn't here, her friends weren't here, and how she didn't belong here; if it wasn't for people like them she would have belonged in Wherever. There was something in those words that got into her head, that she couldn't escape from. He convinced her. She belonged with them. The duel was left unfinished, the disk left to rust on the floor, and she was left to go with him; to do her part in reviving the great Leviathan. _

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Although no-one had quite the same enthusiasm for the assault course as Yami and Maya had demonstrated, it was still figured that they could use something slightly less active. And so it was that they came to be standing on a spot that had once held meadow duel field, though they did not know it, learning how to fire an arrow at a target some metres away. Again, it was Yami and Maya who achieved moderate success at this, although when Tomasu came in with arms of steel from years of raising and downing sails, he couldn't fail to be the best, in his quiet and unobtrusive manner. He didn't really say much, and it seemed only Yami and her amazing people skills could get him to speak at all. And he seemed to talk to her rather a lot, Maya couldn't help but notice. Perhaps Michael noticed too, but he seemed to be too deep in conversation with Tatsu and Asuka to even notice what was happening around him.

Maya ignored them all and fired another arrow. It hit the gold. No-one noticed.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_Seto was edgy. Who wouldn't be? Back at home, he was having a major crisis with Kaiba Corp being blamed for what appeared to be monster attacks; yet here he was, dragging his brother down a dark alleyway in America; in order to meet up with the others, who had recently informed him they'd 'lost' his girlfriend._

_He felt ashamed. He'd promised to go and see her in those shows all those weeks ago in Japan, and hadn't made it to one. Then he had sworn he would come all the way out to the states to watch her, and he really had meant it. But then, these monster attacks… he couldn't have left his company then. He just hoped she'd understand, because, at that moment, he didn't understand himself. _

_A movement. On one of those annoying metal fire escapes they have in the States. Seto immediately went and stood a little in front of Mokuba, determined not to let any thug hurt him. But, as the figure jumped gracefully down, he realised this wasn't a thug. It was dark, and she'd had her hair cut, but somehow, he could just tell it was her. It surprised him that she'd managed to execute such a jump when normally, she even managed to fall out of bed. At that moment, though, he didn't really care._

_"Ann!" Mokuba said, clicking too. "What are you doing here?"_

_She said nothing. Seto, relieved to see her after so much worry, suddenly got his movement back, and went to wrap his arms around her. He just wanted to hold her again, know she was safe. But he didn't come close, as she pushed him away._

_Now he was sure something was wrong. He'd seen her angry before, but this was something else. Instinctively, he found himself tensed, defensive, standing in front of his brother again. _

_"Az, what's the matter?"_

_"What's the matter?" She echoed. "Don't you know, Seto?"_

_"…I'm sorry." He said, honestly. "I know I should have come like I promised. But, with the mon-"_

_"Not that." She snorted. "As if I care about that anymore. You're just another in a race of liars, another dishonest, heartless human being. Don't act like you care now, when you never cared before!"_

_"What are you talking about?!" Seto demanded. "Az, of course I care! I-"_

_"Shut up!" She roared. "Lies! More lies! I've woken up! I know better now… it may have fooled my mom, but not me! It's thanks to you, and dirty scum like you, that I ended up like… like this! Half and half. Not human, not muse- a mess, a mistake! Human kind ran the muses off the Earth, sent us up into the sky, where we don't have night, or weather, or natural water… and yet, we let you get away with it. So you could be exploited! So we could use you! Like the savage, worthless animals you are! And yet… to think…" She stared down at her hands. "To think that filthy blood runs in my veins…"_

_"Az…" Seto said, slowly, swallowing. Behind him, Mokuba looked fearful. "That's not true. You're fine as you are."_

_"No, I'm not!" She screeched. "Caught between two worlds! The shame of my parentage ties me to this disgusting species! Without that tie, I would have been alright! I could have taken my rightful place in the city! And then you tried to trick me to! It's all your fault! Everything is!" She seemed to compose herself a little. "But… that's okay. Because soon, we'll revive the Leviathan. And this 'society' that's been built will be exterminated, the blight on us gone… the Muses can retake their place on the Earth, and build it as it's supposed to be… And I can be redeemed…"_

_Seto tried to remain visually composed, looking down at the floor. In reality, his heart was tearing in two. He'd heard this from that weirdo on the plane on the way over, the one he'd been forced to duel. The one that had played that weird card. But to hear it from Az… from her…_

_"You're right." He said, still looking at the floor. "I did lie to you. And I let you down. And I'm sorry that it happened and that it will happen again. But…" He looked up at her, his eyes hard and determined. "I know you're not yourself. I don't know what's gotten into you, but I promise I will get it out."_

_"Another promise?" She smirked, raising her eyebrows._

_"This one I'll keep." Seto insisted. "If you were yourself, you wouldn't want to be left… this way. I don't know what happened, but I will do anything to get you back to normal!"_

_Her reply would weigh heavily on him for the rest of his days._

_"But you should like me like this, Seto." She said, sweetly. "Now I'm cold and heartless, just like you."_

_"No…"_

_"You say you'll do anything?" She asked. "Then duel me! Gamble your soul!"_

_"Ann…" Mokuba protested, taking a step towards her._

_"Mokuba." Seto answered, looking down at the floor. "Get out of here. Run. Go and find the others."_

_"But…"_

_"Go!"_

_It was lucky that Az would not remember most of that duel later. But, she would always remember the end. She had, somewhere along the line, played the Seal of Oricalcos, but in the end, it hadn't done her any good. Now her defences stood open, Seto had his Legendary Dragon out, and it was his turn._

_But he hesitated. He could not attack, not knowing what the seal was supposedly capable of doing. He looked over at Az, that green mark on her head, the way she looked at him like she hated him; like she hated everything. He couldn't bear to leave her like that. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to attack her, either. He'd have to forfeit._

_"Seto." She said, and, just for a moment, when he looked at her eyes, he could see her there, frightened. She gave a little smile. "Do it." Then she was gone again, adding. "Go on! Give my soul to the dragon, if you dare to."_

_"I do dare to." Seto answered, slowly. "Because, for just a second, I saw the real you in there. So I'll do it."_

_Without further hesitation, he attacked._

_Az wouldn't forget the feeling she had then. She couldn't remember the attack, but she remembered feeling so good again. When you've been full of hate, and then the good feelings, moral values, love, happiness, and all the rest come rushing back, it feels so good. And, above all, she felt safe. She couldn't see him, but she knew he was there, holding onto her. _

_"I knew you'd come…" She muttered, so quietly she'd never know if he'd heard her. With that, her soul slipped away, into it's temporary prison. _

_Seto kept holding her anyway. At that moment, he didn't know what else to do. He felt as if he'd failed her, because she wouldn't wake up, no matter how hard he tried. She was alive, he knew, but nothing more. He knew he'd set her free from the hate the Oricalcos had bound her to, but he hadn't managed to save her. Not properly._

_That was the scene that greeted the others when they arrived with Mokuba. Seto was crouched in front of them, his back to them, next to Az. She was out-cold. Soul-less._

_"Kaiba…" Yugi said, softly._

_"You…" Joey began. "You idiot! You played the card, didn't you?! I knew you were low, Kaiba, but to play the card on Ann?! What the hell do you think you're playing at?!"_

_Seto turned around then, and Joey stopped dead. Suddenly, it all became clear, and his accusations fell down dead. Kaiba looked a mess, his eyes red, almost as if he'd been…_

_"Let's get her somewhere safe, okay?" Téa said, eventually. He nodded, and lifted her still body up off the ground. _

_Somehow, he would always doubt he had done the right thing. But he had._

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"Into fours!" The instructor called, as they stood in a cluster around the edge of the lake, already having been forced into life jackets and helmets. "The sooner you're in teams, guys, the sooner we can get this underway!"

They didn't know what 'this' was just yet. All they knew was that, at lunch, they'd been told to wear something they didn't mind getting wet, and now they were in all this health and safety gear. They'd assumed they would be doing cannoning or something, but now they were getting into teams…

"Pity that Tomasu guy isn't here." Maya grumbled. "He'd have been great for a water activity…"

"Will I do instead, Mac?" Yami asked, as if it didn't go without saying. "And Elwood here makes three, right?" She gestured at Michael.

"Why Elwood?"

"Because."

"Can I join you?" A voice cut in, and it was that belonging to Asuka. She looked around at them, smiling.

"Sure." Michael shrugged, before anyone else could say anything. All around them, groups were forming in a similar fashion. Maya turned her gaze instead to the shed behind the instructor. Peering into the gloom, it appeared to contain large plastic barrels, ropes, and planks of wood. She began to get a feeling of anticipation. This looked like it could be fun.

"Raft building!" The instructor declared, when everyone was eventually ready. "You're going to enjoy this, guys… Right, then. Each group will be supplied with an oar each, some barrels, and some planks. Your job is to construct them into a raft; which you will then be sailing across the lake, turn around and come back again. The winning team will be the first ones back! Give me a shout if you need any help, okay?"

And that was that.

"Raft building?" Yami asked, dubiously. "But I've no idea how to build a raft…"

"That's half the fun." Michael informed her, grinning.

Maya nodded. "Besides, I think I have an idea. Couldn't we-"

"I know the way we should tie the knots." Asuka put in. "I'll show you how to do them. As long as we tie them the right way, it should be fine."

Maya said nothing. Arguing over a juvenile interruption wasn't worth it. Even so, Yami looked back and forth between them, concerned, as Michael chattered happily enough to Asuka about how to do these knots of hers. Maya wasn't at all sure they'd work, but just let them get on with it. She wasn't worth the effort.

It was like that the rest of that session. Asuka seemed to like to be in charge rather a lot.

"She's a little bossy, isn't she?" Michael muttered to Maya, as he helped her carry a plank over.

"She has to be. If she didn't have people to do it for her, no work would get done."

Michael laughed. "Heh… That's a little harsh. Probably true, though."

Maya laughed too. "Well, perhaps we should build it so there's only room for three."

"Or two." Michael added, innocently, watching as Yami screamed in frustration again and chased after a runaway barrel. "They'd probably notice, though."

"We could throw them overboard."

"That might work…"

"Have you two got it yet?" Asuka called. "Come on, we only have half an hour left, and with Yami losing her barrels…"

"I didn't lose it!" She said, indignantly, rolling it back up towards them. "Let's get it strapped back in, alright? Asuka, can I have a hand here…?"

"Sure."

"Let's do this side then, Maya." Michael smiled. She smiled back, and they set to. Before too long, they had completed a raft of some description, and armed only with small paddles that hardly deserved the title of 'oar', climbed aboard, Maya and Michael at the front, Asuka behind him, and Yami behind Maya. As the instructor yelled at them to go, Asuka and Yami shoved hard against the bank and they were off. They paddled as fast as they could, and got to the opposite side of the lake without too much trouble, though their course was rather wobbly and their progress not as fast as they'd perhaps hoped.

But it was fun.

"A little left!" Maya declared, sounding happier then she ever had before, and jostled Michael's elbow. "Do it, Elwood!"

"Don't you start!" Michael yelled back, exasperated, but still sounded amused as he paddled hard, swinging the raft around and back towards the centre of the lake.

"We're coming apart, captain!" Yami shouted, suddenly. "The ropes are coming undone! Help!"

"We're gaining water! We're slowing down!" Asuka added.

"I'll-" Maya began, but Asuka overrode her.

"I'll go and fix it!" She said, determinedly.

"No, wait!" Michael protested, but Asuka had already disappeared over the side of the raft. A moment later, she slipped from view, and did not resurface. Michael cursed violently.

"Stupid girl!" He screamed. "You two, keep paddling!" He demanded, and before anyone could stop him, had jumped off the side too. A second later, he had fallen beneath the deepest waters of the lake. They churned around him as other teams, not aware of what had happened, paddled past, making it hard to see. Their own raft was drifting off ahead, but Asuka was not with it. He spotted her a second later, thrashing madly but blindly, panicking and so not swimming properly. He grabbed her, held her to him, and, somehow, managed to drag them both back to the surface of the water. She began to cough and splutter madly, as he slowly got them back to the shore, the one that was closest being about quarter of the way around, muscles burning. He set her down, but it was not concern in his eyes. Anger shone from them as she sat up.

"What the _hell _were you playing at?!" He yelled, watching as she sat there, shivering from wet and cold, a small cut on her forehead. "Of all the stupid things to do, Asuka…!"

"I thought you wanted to win…" She tried.

"Not if it means you're going to get hurt!" He snapped back. "It was just some loose knots! What on Earth possessed you?!"

"I thought I could fix it…" Asuka whispered, looking miserable. "But then I was hit by Kaiba's oar, and I panicked…" Tears of fright began to fall. "And the water was so dark… I didn't even know which way was up…I thought I was going to die…"

Michael softened a little, sighing. "Yeah, we all did, Asuka…" He sat heavily down next to her, sighing. "Don't do such reckless things!"

"I'm sorry…" She sobbed. "I… I was so scared!" Shaking, she grabbed hold of him, huddling close. Awkwardly, he hugged her back, comforting as best he could. Just because he was angry didn't mean he could ignore such fear. It reminded him of when his siblings had got scared over the years, and they'd always come to him, even before their parents. Lisa still did, on occasion. He found himself thinking back to Wren, his closest sibling in age, and how frightened she used to be of the noises that came from their garden at night. He remembered one night, when she had come running in, afraid, and he had taken her down, out into the garden, and shown her that it was nothing more then some fox cubs playing. She wasn't afraid after that. The only problem was, she wanted to watch them every night, but was too scared to be there on her own. He'd lost a lot of sleep that way. Lost in the memory, he closed his eyes.

Asuka, though she was shaking, kept her eyes open fully, looking over Michael's shoulder as everyone dashed around the side of the lake to see if they were okay, lead by their other two team mates.

"Asuka, Michael!" Yami called, aghast, and Michael released her. "Are you alright?!"

"We're fine, Yami, don't worry." He answered. "Asuka probably needs a plaster, though."

"I'd need more then that if it wasn't for you." She replied, sweetly. "Michael… thank you."

Out of the corner of her eye, Asuka noticed Kaiba looking away. Perfect.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

**_I've just remembered why I didn't bother to make friends before. _**Maya wrote, angrily, sitting alone in her room during that free time session. Everyone else was down on the beach. _**People are idiots. Thank goodness for you, my ever silent friend- I might just lose my sanity were it not for you. After lunch today, we had a raft building contest, and had to sail from one side of the lake to the other. I somehow got lumbered with Asuka, and, as usual, she seemed to be out to totally discredit everything I did. I had a good idea of how to best structure the raft, too, but, as usual, the loudest voice prevailed, and we did it Asuka's way. I wasn't in the least surprised when it started coming to pieces, considering it was the knots she tied. But, it was almost fun up to then, and everyone's else's rafts were coming apart too. We could have carried on, we could have won. She didn't have to dive so dramatically overboard, now did she? She just wanted to look brave- probably thought I was going to volunteer and wanted to beat me to it. More fool her, I was just going to say that I'd try and keep us out of the waves the other teams were making. Either way, the idiot almost managed to drown herself; and an even bigger idiot- namely MICHAEL- decided he was going to play the hero too and dive off to save her. He managed to, of course, but what if he hadn't?! Do these people have **no **sense whatsoever?! She was scared to death over it too, or so she said. Um, excuse me? She was in a waist-deep lake. I was in the ocean having just jumped off a cliff, and I didn't make such a fuss. I refuse to apologise for cutting her head by hitting her with my oar. There are three very good reasons as to why:**_

_**1. I don't think I hit her because I didn't feel anything.**_

_**2. The cut's the wrong shape. It's been done on a bit of rock, or a splinter of wood, but it's not neat enough to be an oar.**_

_**3. And if I HAD hit her, it would serve her right for her idiocy.**_

_**But, naturally, she's the centre of attention again now. I can't stand people like that. It also makes me highly suspicious about her 'accident' anyway. She was probably trying to outdo me; or, more likely, trying to steal my new found 'friend'. Well, she's welcome to the silly git. I can't believe him… She would have been okay, she didn't need to be rescued. He was only putting himself at risk as well, and I don't have any love for stupid people.**_

_**Except… I sort of do, I guess. In the time we've been here, he and Yami have done plenty of silly things. Even I've jumped off a cliff. I suppose I'm sort of getting used to it. And the rest of the day, pre-Asuka-the-amazing-stick-up-her-bottom-girl, was almost fun. I turned out to have a surprising knack at archery, as did Yami. Michael was pretty impressed, though he spent more time trying to work out why she was calling him Elwood all of a sudden. She's a strange girl, Yami; but I sort of get the impression there's more to her then it would first appear. I mean**_

As though the words on the page could summon her, Yami entered the room, smiling a greeting. It wasn't the first time. She clearly hadn't liked the idea that perhaps Maya preferred to be alone, but had eventually left her to it. Now, though, as she shrugged off some sand-covered sandals, she tried once more.

"We're about to go down to dinner." She said, lightly. "You coming?"

"Sure." Maya shrugged, attempting to casually conceal the book. However, Yami still saw.

"What you got there?"

"A journal." Maya said, shortly, and climbed off her bed then. That evening was a barbeque on the beach, and she had consumed a saddening small amount of hot dogs in her time. Of course she was going to dinner.

And maybe that idiot friend of hers would be there too, and she could taunt him about being so overdramatic earlier.

Michael was there, and she did indeed tease him. He reminded her that she was the one who had thrown herself off a cliff. She could only laugh.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

It was growing late as he walked back through those familiar gates, feeling guilty that he had not passed through them for quite some time now. He leant his prized old motorbike, the first he had ever brought, against the stands of the old dirt track and sat there for a moment, looking over it and remembering all the times he'd had upon it. He'd started to come here in high school, riding around the track in the dead of night, because it was free. By day, he was nothing more then a mechanic. Here, he had been able to forget that, lose himself in the roar of the engines and the rush, the thrill, of such speed. He remembered the night he had brought her here. She had not been very impressed.

He sighed, standing again and taking his bike up to the starting line. He hadn't thought of her in a long time, and didn't want to now, an old hurt that was more or less ignored, just taken out on occasion when there was nothing else to do. He had loved her at the time. Not anymore, she was long since gone from his life. But he couldn't help but wonder…

He kicked the bike into a start and then began to accelerate madly, taking the corner fast enough so that the thoughts were chased out of his mind. So he wouldn't have to think about the night, some years ago now, when she had come down to the track to meet him, and he'd been so pleased that she'd ended up pregnant. So he wouldn't have to think about the day she told him. He'd been surprised, but happy. Over the moon. So he wouldn't have to think about how he wanted to marry her, raise a family, do it properly. So he wouldn't have to recall those dreadful words, that awful laugh: _Marry you? Is this just because that idiot friend of yours got hitched, and we had to sit through that crappy ceremony? Why would _I_ want to do a thing like that with someone like _you_? You're a _mechanic_! A loser! You'll never be anyone, and you'll never be anyone to me- you're a nobody that was fun for a while. You get real old real fast, Tristan. _

So he wouldn't have to wonder what had become of that child.

Another corner. Faster. A slide, a skid, dirt thrown to the stars, bend so low his elbow was practically at the ground. That's the way. No way was middle age too old for this.

There had been happier times here to. Good, golden evenings before he met her, when he was a kid. And those long, empty nights afterward when he could forget the world, perfect his art. Then, at his peak, there was that day when he was not all alone on an empty track.

_They were stood in the stands, waiting for him to finish. Anna and Mokuba, the former so heavily pregnant that he wondered if the engine noises were a good environment for her to be in. She didn't seem to worried, as she grinned down at him._

_"What are you two doing here?"_

_"We've come to offer you a job." She answered._

_"Or, more accurately, ask a favour." Mokuba amended._

And had it ever been an opportunity. That night, he rode one of the best bikes he'd ever found, his favourite even now. It just wanted to go, but still handled beautifully, could turn at a moment's notice. Whoever Mokuba had hired to help him and his sister-in-law with the design had done a beautiful job. But they didn't just want him to test the thing. No, they offered him something much more then that.

A tight curve. He swept around it at speed, graceful, not leaving the track for a second.

_"It's a good bike." He told them approvingly, reaching the end of the course. "I'd buy one."_

_"How about selling them?" Anna asked, smiling._

_"Pardon?" _

_"The thing is, we need someone who knows how to handle the bike to use in the ad campaigns." Mokuba explained. "Well, more then that. All the demos, all the tests, the whole publicity deal. Could you help us out?"_

Agreeing had been one of the best decisions he'd ever made. He got good money off Kaiba Corp as the motorbike quickly became one of the best selling models, so even Seto couldn't really complain about it not being what the company usually made anymore. And Tristan got noticed. That, he mused as he slowed a little, was really how he got started. He was invited to race, and he won. A lot. And somehow, he hadn't been a nobody anymore. And yet, as he nudged the bike up to the finish line, he knew it was almost over. He couldn't race for much longer, at his age. It saddened him, perhaps even angered him.

Still, as long as he still had his bike and this track where it had all begun, then he'd be okay.

Movement.

He finally paid attention to his surroundings, looking to his side, where there was another guy, sitting astride a bike just as he was, hands tightening on the handlebars. So, tonight, he was not alone. Both were wearing heavy helmets that the real racers were forced to wear, so their faces could not be seen. But they didn't need to. By some unspoken agreement, they both kicked off.

This was what it was all about for Tristan as he raced once again around the twists and turns, bewaring the rough or slippery patches, the bike leaping into his grip. The thrill of speed had nothing on the thrill of competition. No time to think. It was over fast enough as he skidded to a halt at the line, no more then half an inch ahead. He removed his helmet, and smiled at his opponent.

"I haven't had a race that close for far too long. I didn't think anyone else drove this course either." He said, happily. "You're good, mate. Are you professional?"

"Nah, my dad never let me when I was kid, and now… well, I'm not getting any younger." They replied, removing the helmet to reveal a woman about his age, perhaps slightly younger, with short spiked hair and a ready smile. "Plus, no-one really takes ladies seriously in the big-time. You'd know about that, right?"

"Not really." Tristan answered. "I'm old news now. They don't tend to have people over the age of thirty compete."

"That's because no-one under the age of thirty would have a hope of winning against us." She snorted. "I'm telling you- unless they're old enough to appreciate the KC Rider rather then take it for granted, they're not worth the time it takes them to get around the track."

"Now, that was a bike…" Tristan muttered, still half in his memories. "So, do you have a name, my worthy adversary?"

"Julie." She answered, shortly. "And what about you, Kaiba Corp's bike salesperson?"

"Tristan."

She shook her head in exasperation. "Like I didn't know that, from all those races you won. Idiot."

"Well, that was quite a time ago." He reasoned. "I haven't won anything in a while."

"You won me." She shrugged. "And that gives you the right to buy me a coffee. It's in the middle of the night, I'm tired, and I lost all my loose change flying around the track."

"Fine." Tristan laughed. "And, while we're there, I'll tell you about this wonderful invention for pockets called a _zip_…"

And so, on that old dirt track came another chance for another beginning.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

The room was darkened, though the curtain was not closed, the window open so the two girls could be lulled to sleep by the sounds of the sea. It seemed to work on Yami, as the girl yawned widely.

"Man, what a day…" She said, sleepily. "Still, tomorrow won't be so hectic, if it's just the mazes… If they're as hard as my dad says, it should be fun…"

Maya said nothing. The idea of thin, dark chambers was not the same as her idea of fun. Not that she would ever say that.

"Goodnight, Maya… Tomorrow's another day…"

"Night." Maya replied, remembering those familiar words. She'd sung about that, in the concert all those months ago, when the trip was first announced. And, as she lay awake, it beat around her brain until, eventually, it had to come out. She moved to the window and sang it to herself, not wanting to wake Yami. Little did she know, the other was a very light sleeper, and awoke just enough to hear the words, drifting out across the dark night.

"_And you probably don't want to hear tomorrow's another day, but I promise you you'll see the sun again; and you're asking me why pain's the only way to happiness, and I promise you you'll see the sun again…"_

Yami rolled over sleepily, thinking how sad, how lonely it sounded. Vaguely, her half-asleep brain wondered if Maya was that lonely, and, if she was; what they could do about it.

At length, Maya climbed back up into her bed, pulled the covers over her, and tried to grab an hour or two's sleep. She'd need it later. Gradually, her breathing slowed, and she settled into a dream of a small, dark place; where she cried and cried but nobody came.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

A/N: And there we have it. Two days of five are down! What happens on day three? Why does Michael need to phone home? In the card game tournament, who will emerge triumphant? What _exactly _prompted Joey to propose? Did Seto and Az ever come close to breaking up? Will Maya ever read Az's letter? Will they ever even get out of the maze? And what role does Asuka have to play…? Coming up in **Fall or Fly Chapter Four: Steal**…


	5. Steal

A/N: Well, it's unbelievable, but it's here! An update! I should explain a little with this one, because there are a lot of flashbacks. Now, as some are part of a 'one-shot', if you like, they are all in _Italics _and follow on from each other. So, other 'stand alone' flashbacks are in **Bold. **Maya's diary (Sorry, journal) entries are in _**Bold and Italics **_as always, though.

Disclaimer: Same as always, as always.

So, without further ado, chapter Four! We have arrived at this fic's half way point, wow!

Four- Steal

_Anna was, by and large, a happy person. There was a very good reason for this, and that was that she had no reason to be unhappy. Life was good! It was hard to believe she'd lived over twenty years now, but twenty years old she was. The last five had been the best, although they'd faced Nothing and mummies and Soul-Stealing Dragons and crazy business rivals and a roman emperor and evil doppelgangers of old friends, and, most recently, another business rival, obsessed with films, who they'd dealt with the previous year. That adventure had also removed the only person who made her life miserable, as he died at the point of his own knife, intended for her. She had cried for Lira then, but he was far from missed._

_Nowadays, life was a lot calmer for her and her friends. Due to differences in jobs, schedules, lifestyles and even countries, it was hard for them all to meet up- but they did keep in touch. Anna's closest friend, as always, was Kaho Bijou. Between them, they'd managed to rent a small flat close to their university, which both preferred to living on campus. It was in these hallowed halls that they went to earn degrees, and, in a year's time, Anna hoped to be leaving with two- Music Theory and Music History. She couldn't imagine either of these getting her a job, but it was all she was good at, so she tried not to think about it too much. She couldn't imagine holding a job anyway._

_And yet, it was for the sake of income that she was standing on a packed train, hanging grimly, for dear life, onto a handle that hung from the ceiling for that express purpose. Money appeared to be somewhat a requirement for living. As a result, ever since she had started university at eighteen, she had been raising funds by doing something she both loved and hated. She loved to play music, either on her harmonica or saxophone. She hated to do so in front of other people. _

_But, she had reasoned, she'd hate a 'normal' job even more. So, entertaining it was. It was a very casual form of work. She probably did one show a week, and if the place- usually Jazz, Blues, or Coffee houses with the occasional middle-class bar in- liked her, she'd go back. Sometimes, she worked with other artists for a few weeks before parting ways, occasionally only to come together again a few months later. Like the music she played, there was very little structure. _

_Tonight, she was playing to a small Jazz house located inside a renovated farm house. She had been there on a few occasions, and loved playing to the low beams and period fireplace. However, it was quite a way away, and the only real route to it was by train._

_Anna hated trains._

_She especially hated crowded trains._

_She doubly especially hated crowded trains when she had to try and get her saxophone case on board._

_Luckily, as the train shuddered to a halt, causing her to stumble into a grumpy looking woman who glared at her, this was her stop._

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Maya glared at the cave entrance before her. It didn't collapse into rubble, so it looked like, in a moment, she'd be going in.

She hated small spaces. Always had.

She especially hated small, dark spaces. Always had, since she'd started having those dreams. And she'd always had those dreams.

She doubly especially hated being forced into small, dark, spaces in the name of fun.

But her pride was on the line here. She'd do the maze. Then no-one would know. No-one could _possibly _know.

Even so, the safety talk was taking so long she was beginning to lose her nerve. What did she care about how to avoid the low rooves or what to do if you were hopelessly lost or when the caves filled with sea water or about needing to have a first aid kit with them? Couldn't they just get it over and done with?

Eventually, she went in with Yami, Michael and Tomasu. It wasn't fun. It reminded her terribly of that age old nightmare, the one she'd had again last night, about being trapped all alone in a small, dark room, crying and crying though nobody came. But someone was _coming_. And she wasn't altogether sure about if she ever wanted them to arrive.

So as they went around the maze, the darkened stone labyrinth, it was a horrid reminder of the one thing that got through her defences and under her skin. She was more irritable and impatient, trying to get them through as quickly as possible. The thing was, even though she told herself she wasn't afraid, wasn't uncomfortable, this was a test to see if that was true. And she wanted to get through it as quickly as possible.

Her friends could only mistake it for eagerness for so long, after all.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_"You seem happy tonight."_

_"Well, I have someone coming to watch me tonight…"_

_"So? What's new? You always have someone coming to watch! Unless…" _

_Anna looked up from where she was fitting a new reed into her sax, sitting on a ripped stool in a store cupboard- nothing as glamorous as a dressing room for the likes of them- and saw Riku smirking at her. The girl was only sixteen, but she had an amazing voice. She was the regular act at this jazz house, so Anna had met her a few times now. Anna knew Riku could go far, if she had the chance. For the moment, however, she stood in the stockroom and continued her speculation._

_"Unless the person coming to see you tonight is someone particularly special…" _

_Anna nodded slightly, smiling. Various members of her family and friends usually came to watch when she was playing reasonably locally, so there was usually at least one friendly face out there giving her moral support. It was a nice way to met up with the people she saw less often._

_Tonight, however, Seto and Mokuba were coming._

_She hadn't seen them for almost a month- they'd been in Germany on business, although it had taken a long time for Seto to convince Domino High to let Mokuba go when it was so close to his final exams. Eventually, though, he'd got away; and the two had returned early that morning. She was dying to see them to catch up, but she'd had lectures all day and they'd had jet lag, and now this. Seto had promised they'd be here tonight._

_"I've never seen you with a boyfriend before." Riku commented._

_"He's really busy, so he can't often make it. Plus, Jazz isn't really his thing…" Anna shook her head. "I've been trying to convince him almost since I met him, but, so far, no luck…"_

_"How long have you been together?"_

_"Let's see…" She frowned. "Well… I was about fifteen and a half when we met, and we've been together pretty much since then." She smiled. "My first and only boyfriend."_

_"Wow!" Riku gasped. "But… don't you get bored being with the same person all the time? Don't you wonder what it would be like to be with someone else?"_

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Michael blinked a little as they emerged back into the light of day. The first thing he did was look at his watch and then groan theatrically.

"Oh, great… Look at the time." He said, but before Maya could ask what he meant, the teacher was talking again and dismissing them for free time. Michael headed straight down towards the jetty.

"I need to phone home." He explained. "There's one on the pier, isn't there?"

"I think so." Yami replied, and he walked off. The others followed him, a metre or two behind. "So," Yami turned to Maya. "You alright now?"  
Maya looked at her curiously. "Why?"

"Well, you didn't like the maze, did you?"

Maya swallowed, blinking. "But I… how…?"

Yami smiled broadly. "We're your friends. We can tell! You were scared, even if you did put a brave face on it. Try to cheer up- it's over now, and you've got Michael worried."

"He seems fine to me." Maya answered, looking ahead to where he was laughing with Tomasu. Yami shook her head in exasperation.

"As I say. When someone's your friend, you can tell."  
"I…"

They reached the phone, and, fumbling in his pocket, Michael pushed in a coin. "Hope this isn't too expensive…" He muttered. A second later began the most bewildering half of a conversation Maya had ever heard.

"Hey, Lisa! How're you…? You know who it is, you dope. You don't have to ask when you know who it is, I keep telling you… Oh, alright, alright, I'm sorry! Look, can you go and find Wren for me? That's it. You're a star… Wren, hey! Happy birthday! Well, I would have done, but we were several feet underground. Yeah, the catacombs. Nah, I think it had been bricked off… Anyways, how's it going? You having fun? Oh? Good. Great. Really?! Man, I should have stayed home… Save me some, okay? Wait, what's all the noise? That sounded like… Well, tell them it isn't a toy! Wren! Help me out here! Yes, tell them I'm mad! It does matter! I'm sure you _could_, but I worked my socks off to do that! Come on, get them off…! Thanks. What? Ah, no, I forgot. Oops." He put the phone to his shoulder, and looked back at them. "Yo, Yami! She's having her party on Saturday and wants you to come and keep me out of the way. You up for it?"

"Sure." Yami smiled.

Michael turned back to the phone. "That's a yes. No, I won't embarrass you. Not really… Oh, it's been good- we did raft building, that was quite fun. Oh, and you should have seen Maya and Yami on the assault course! They are absolutely _barmy_! Maya?" His voice dropped a little, embarrassed. "Well, she's a friend of mine. And she's standing right here. What? Well, yeah, but I don't see- Huh? Well, dad can shut his idiot mouth. What?! Where do you even _get _these things?! What?! Wren, don't even- arrgh! You are so annoying! Sorry, can't stop to answer that one, my money's running out! Give my love to mom! Bye!"

He hung up, hastily. Yami laughed.

"What was she saying, Marco…?"

"She got a set of Dickens' classics for her present." He replied, sounding exasperated. "What kind of weird teenager is she…?"

"One that appreciates fine literature?" Maya guessed. "That was your sister, right?"

Michael nodded. "Unfortunately. She's only just today thirteen and she's already smarter and better than me…"

"Awww, don't feel inadequate." Yami teased, lightly, patting his back. "Just because she's a child genius and far more attractive than you doesn't mean you aren't special in your own way…"

"Yami…" Tomasu tried, mildly. She continued regardless.

"Oh, come on." She moved and wrapped her arm with some difficulty around Maya's shoulders instead. "What do you think, Mac? I would have liked to have heard the other half of the conversation…"

"I wouldn't worry." Maya shrugged her off. "With a dad like mine, I know all about feeling inadequate. We each just have to be the best we can, and screw anyone else." Then she smirked. "I also thought it was kinda sweet to phone your sister on her birthday like that. You're just a big softie, aren't you?"

Michael reddened and the other three laughed. Yet, even as they chuckled, Maya couldn't help but feel a small stab of envy. She knew there was not much point in her calling home. There wasn't anyone in particular she had to talk to.

Later, the four of them were in a viciously contested volleyball match. Well, viciously contested in the sense that Maya and Michael, on one side, could play and were smacking it so Tomasu and Yami, their opponents, wouldn't have a hope of catching it. The ball rolled away down the beach again, and the other two chased after it. Again.

Michael watched them go. "This seems to be a fairly one sided match." He commented in amusement. "Maybe we should go easy on them."

"Nah." Maya shrugged. "It's more fun this way…"

Michael laughed. "Man, you're so cruel… by the way, my sister said you should come on Saturday too." He suddenly reddened. "Um, if you want to. You know, we haven't known each other that long, and my family's kinda weird, so if you don't want to I guess that's-"

"No, I'd like to." Maya said, surprising herself. They got back on Friday evening, just two days away, and she'd intended to relax on the Saturday, reading a book or maybe going into Kaiba Corp if they needed a French or English translator. Instead, she was going to a children's birthday party. It was curiosity that made her accept. Curiosity of what a typical, nuclear family was like.

Then there was some part of her that accepted just because she had actually been invited. That wasn't something that happened too often.

At length, Yami and Tomasu returned with the ball. Yami served, and Michael hit it. It soared through the air, and then skittered away behind a sand dune quite a way away. He laughed sheepishly.

"Sorry!"

"Out!" Tomasu yelled. "I guess we'd better go get it…" It took two of them to find the ball half the time. Yet, as they got to the sand dune, and began to carefully negotiate a way down, Yami's feet slid. She grabbed hold of Tomasu's shirt, and he slid to, until the were left in an undignified heap at the bottom, covered in sand.

"Sorry…" Yami giggled into his chest somewhere.

"That's alright." He answered, blushing furiously, his colour only fading slightly as she dragged herself off him. They sat side by side in the sand, looking at the sea or around for the ball.

"Tomasu." She said, suddenly.

"Yes?"

"One day…" She said, hesitantly. "Could I… come sailing with you again?"

He smiled. "I'd like that."

They resumed their search for the ball, not voicing their considerations on the fact that Tomasu lived nowhere near her, nor the fact that the trip was half over already. Monday to Friday really wasn't long enough. Not when you went with friends like these.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_When Anna stood on the low, small table that served as the stage that evening, the first thing she did was scan the audience. She saw not two, but three faces. One was a man she had seen only once before, but she recognised him immediately. He was Japan's most prominent music journalist, who had written about a jazz convention she'd attended many years ago. She hoped he was writing about Riku's earlier performance, not the ambience of the place. This could be the break the girl needed… The other two, to her immense happiness, were Seto and Mokuba. She met his eye and smiled softly, before getting back to work._

_Finished adjusting the microphone stand, she stepped forward to introduce herself; always using her muse name as a stage one. Here, the usual butterflies began to kick in. Even after all these years, she still got stage fright… Then, suddenly, the earth shook; the lights flickered out, people's cups trembled and the drinks slopped out over the edges. Then, the shaking stopped, and the lights came back on. Anna had lived in Japan long enough to be used to the small tremors happening, often several times a day, and, like every other citizen, pretty much ignored them._

_"I think it's trying to tell me something." She remarked, dryly, raising a laugh from the half of the small audience that was actually listening. "Hi, everyone. My name is Azr-"_

_The earth shook again; the lights and the microphone cutting out. Again, it stopped, and she valiantly tried to continue._

_"Heh. Anyway, my name is Azreal, and I'm going to try, quakes permitting, to play for you tonight." She raised the saxophone to her lips, inhaling deeply through her nose, only to have all the air knocked out of her as the ground below them shook even more violently and she tumbled from the platform._

_If she had been in the city, if she had been in any building built since the disastrous earthquake in Kobe, the building would have withstood the shock easily. She would have stood, laughing, dusted herself off, and got on with the show. _

_As it was, she was in an old farm house, designed with heavy roof tiles to get through typhoons. Having withstood years of conditions such as this, one of the old rafters finally creaked and gave way, leaving her, and, as far as she knew, several others, buried under the rubble of the roof. _

Oh!_ She thought, surprised._

_It was dark. And heavy. It was hard to breathe. And it hurt._

_Anna lay there for who knew how long, just about breathing, half-in and half-out cold, in an eerie silence. A patch of light broke through, and air, and a hand swam in her flooded vision. She wasn't sure if it was really there or not, but found she didn't care. She gave up the struggle and sank into sleep._

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"For pity's sake, play _properly_!" Maya was heard to scream in frustration.

"Sorry, sorry… um, defence mode, then!"

"What?! Yami, that monster would kick mine!"

"Don't you have a trap, though?"

"No, I'm wide open! There's nothing there! Why did you play defence mode?!"  
"I thought you had a trap!"

"How could you think I had a trap?! There's nothing _there_! They even explained the rules before we started!"

"Well, how was I supposed to remember?!"

"Yami, a _lizard _could remember!"

"…A lizard? How good a memory does a lizard have?"

A scream of frustration. "That's not the point!"

"Sorry, I just didn't know if it was a compliment or not…"

"Why would it have been a compliment?! I-"

"It's your turn, by the way."

"What's the point?! I can't believe you…"

Michael watched in bewilderment as the somewhat spirited match continued. He tuned Maya's rantings out and found himself thinking, as he had done for years, what a pity it was Yami had taken after her mother when it came to duel monsters. Oddly, he was sure if she played it on a games console she would master it in about thirty seconds. He'd never found a video game she couldn't beat.

He watched as Maya gave up and resignedly destroyed Yami. Yami, on her part, didn't seem to be able to comprehend how her loss had happened. In fact, Michael wasn't even sure if she realised she'd loss at all. 'A total loss' would about describe her skills at this, actually. And he wasn't the only one. Those that weren't currently involved in their own games had wandered over, helping for a death match. It hadn't been given. In truth, this whole tournament was pointless, a farce. Very few people knew how to play, and certainly not enough to enjoy it; particularly with the decks the school had thrown and scraped together. It was already obvious it would be Maya and himself in the final, but what was the point? He was, frankly, bored.

"Ha, Yami, no offence, but you suck worse than I do…" One of their classmates told her cheerily, ruffling her hair. She pushed him off, but laughed.

"Hey, I never said I could play this…"

"I was surprised," Tomasu chipped in. "I thought you'd play like your dad."

"Doesn't everyone…? But, nope, I don't! Not one jot!"

"I'll say." Maya agreed, annoyance fading to amusement. "I'd better get a better match off Michael."

"Only if you both get to the final…" Yami pointed out, but Maya wasn't listening; looking instead to where Michael was leaving with Asuka.

"Doesn't he realise he has a match in a minute?" She asked, more irritated than she let on. "Idiot."

"We'll go get him if it looks like he won't be back in time." Yami promised. "After all, Asuka's with him. Maybe we'd better not interrupt…"

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_Two things woke Anna up. One was a rhythmic bleeping that, for a moment, she couldn't place. It was a heart machine, she realised, and by those means found that she was in a hospital. Now, why was that…? Oh, yes. The roof had collapsed. The second was someone calling her._

_"Az. Az, can you hear me? Wake up…!"_

_She couldn't help but smile. Even she had begun referring to herself as 'Anna' many years previously. Only Seto still used Az, seemingly unable to drop the habit. And so, before she even opened her eyes, she knew where she was, why she was there, and who was with her. _

_Only… No, not Seto. Mokuba. It had been Mokuba's voice. She opened her eyes._

_"Mokuba…?"_

_"The one and only." He smiled, patting her arm. "I'm so glad you're alright! Well… Not exactly… but… you are alright, right?"_

_"Um… yeah, yeah. I'm fine." It was true, to an extent. She was surprisingly 'fine' considering a roof had been dropped on her head. She would have imagined she'd be in a far worse state. She sat up, slowly. Mokuba was kneeling by her bed, his abandoned chair behind him, next to the window hung with cheerful red curtains. It was still daylight, bright and sunny. "How long have I been out?"_

_"Three days!"_

_"Goodness…" Anna sighed, thinking about how much work she'd have to catch up on back at school. Then she looked about the room. "…Where's Seto?"_

_Mokuba looked at the floor. "He's not coming." He mumbled._

_"What? Was he hurt?!"_

_Mokuba didn't look at her, but his face drew in anger. "No."_

_"…Then, why-"_

_"Az, would you wake up?!" He snapped, suddenly. "He's not coming because he doesn't care about you! He doesn't care! So he's not coming!"_

_Anna stared at him in incomprehension. "What…?"_

_"He doesn't love you, Ann." Mokuba said, quietly. "He never did."_

_"What? But…"_

_"What?" Mokuba interrupted, tiredly. "But what?!" He softened slightly. "Think about it, Ann. _Really_ think about it carefully."_

_"I…"_

_"I love you, Az." He said, softly, and for a moment she was confused. But then, Mokuba continued. "When has ever said that to you, hey? When? Just one time… when has he said it?"_

_"He…" Anna faltered. "I… I don't understand! He acts so…"_

_"Acts!" Mokuba threw back at her. "Ann, that's all it is. Acting. When my brother met you, he saw the muses as a new market to be conquered. But he knew he'd get his memory wiped- unless you fell in love with him. He used you." He whispered, bitterly. "Just like he uses everyone else."_

_"…No!" Anna screamed. "No! I don't believe you! What about all the times-" "There weren't any." Mokuba said, miserably. "Saving Wherever? So he could be a hero with the muses. Don't you remember that he asked you if you were going to stay there? He wanted to get money from them, to use them to; steal the technology that keeps the city floating… How about when he was duelling Yugi, and he played the Pyramid of Light, and he kept playing regardless of the danger, even when you fell from the railing? Or when your soul was stolen by the Oricalcos? He didn't come for you- he came to get Kaiba Corp back and you got in the way. When you lost your soul, he thought he'd got rid of you…I know you remember when he seemed to be losing interest, I can see it in your eyes. And what about in Egypt, when he-"_

_"Stop!" Anna yelled, crying. "Stop it! I don't believe you!"_

_"You _won't_ believe me." Mokuba corrected gently, almost in tears himself. "But either I'm lying or Seto is… You tell me who the most honest is."_

_The room fell silent. There wasn't a single sound to be heard. _

_"I…" Anna stammered, eventually, and then fell silent again. _

_"I'm so sorry." Mokuba said, voice controlled although tears had begun to flow. "I'm so sorry. I wanted to tell you, to warn you, but…I… I was just a kid. A lonely kid with only a twisted, manipulating older brother to look to… Who had never known an inch of kindness…I… needed you." He swallowed. "Seto's always been this way. He uses everyone. Our family, the orphanage, our stepfather. You. Me."_

_"Mokuba…"_

_"With me around, he could pretend to care about something other then himself. Someone who's loyalty was assured. A scapegoat, who would always come back for more." Mokuba spat the words in disgust._

_"That can't be true…" Anna whispered, still refusing to believe what she was hearing. "If you're so sure of this, why have you put up with it?!"_

_"Because I'm as bad as he is." Mokuba replied, bitterly. "I know my future lies in Kaiba Corp. I haven't trusted Seto since the day he used me to make it look like I was the one who told Gozaburo his plan. Since he hit me, when he had told our stepfather himself. But I know how he arrogantly assumed I would always forgive him, that I'm stupid enough to believe his lies. I'm smarter then that- smarter then him. And, pretty soon, I'll take Kaiba Corp from him! That's why I gave him my shares; because I knew one day I could get the company from him!" he touched Anna's arm desperately. "We'll be free!"_

_She remained silent._

_"Ann…" He pleaded. "You're a great person. You're my friend. I can't stand to see him treat you like this anymore! Do you know what he did after the roof collapsed?! He stood up, and left. He doesn't care what happens to you- he's using you and now he'd be _relieved_ if you died!"_

_She began to cry silently._

_"Az…" He said, awkwardly. "Wake up, okay? It'll all be fine, you just have to wake up." He fixed her with a stony look. "I know…it's hard to believe. But I'm telling the truth. Just… think about it." He turned to leave. "That's why Seto isn't here."_

_With that, she was left alone, in the silent, empty room, containing only the bed and the window at the foot of it, snow falling through the night outside. She stared, dry-eyed, at the blank, white ceiling for a long time. Then she began to cry and cry._

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

**It was a casual evening between friends, nothing particularly special was supposed to happen, but it seemed some amongst them had other plans. It was supposed to be a simple bowling game, but, as usual, it was far more then that.**

**"Strike!" Tristan said triumphantly, and Anna and Yugi clapped politely. The victor went sneakily up to Joey. "Well, there it is, Joe. Another strike for me… Looks like I'll win, this time."**

**"Don't count on it." He answered, stepping forward for his turn. "I'll get it back yet…"**

**"Why must everything turn into a match up between you two?" Mai asked, tiredly. Even now that they were supposedly responsible adults, they had as many ego contests as ever. **

**"Come on, you know you want me to win." Joey wheedled. "Kiss for luck!" He wrapped an arm around her neck and pulled her close, planting one on her cheek. She pushed him off, pretending annoyance. **

**"Get off me!" She protested.**

**"You know I can't do that." He answered, getting her lips this time.**

**"Oh please, you two." Tristan said, teasingly. "Must you do that in public?"**

**"I think they must explode or something if they don't." Yugi commented, wryly.**

**"Hmm, well, if that's allowed…" Anna began. "Perhaps I'll be allowed to tell you about how Seto and I, on our honeymoon, just lay-"**

**"Alright, I'll stop!" Joey said, theatrically, mocking himself more then anything. "I don't care if you're happily married nowadays! I don't want to know! Ignorance is bliss!" He released his girlfriend and finally went up to have his turn. He was carefully taking aim.**

**"This looks like it could take a while." Anna commented, as he continued to swing the ball back and forth in the pretence of being professional. "He'll be checking the slant of the lane in a minute. So, in the meantime, I'll excuse myself…" She headed off in the directions of the toilet.**

**Joey continued to aim.**

**"She's right." Yugi teased. "This will take ages. And I need a drink."**

**"Is no-one going to watch me get this strike?" Joey demanded, pretending to be hurt. Tristan groaned.**

**"Now you have to aim all over again… Screw this. I'm going to get some food. It's not like you'll hit anything anyway."**

**"You-!"**

**Sighing, Joey turned his back; and, sometime later, finally had his turn. He didn't quite get a strike, but rather a spare, knocking down first eight pins and then the final two. He took a step back to look at the scoreboard. Above the display screen was a scrolling message that usually advertised drinks or special offers; but you could request to get it changed. And theirs had changed.**

**Just ask her, Joey!!**

**He froze.**

**"Ask me what?" Mai asked. He stammered helplessly, hardly noticing as Anna returned from the toilet. Her cheery exclamation at the scores was ignored.**

**"Well, that is…"**

**Why had he told them? He knew it had been a mistake the moment he'd told them, that day they were celebrating Anna's engagement, that he'd like to marry Mai one day. Why did he do that? Why…?**

**Tristan was back now too. "What's going on?" He asked. He was ignored.**

**"No, go on." Mai told him, frowning. "What do you need to ask me?"**

**"That is… I…"**

**Yugi came back and looked around them all and at the screen in confusion.**

**Joey swallowed. Somehow, he knew now was as good a time as any. It wouldn't be terribly romantic. It wouldn't be very well prepared. But he was so nervous all the time. He'd probably never ask of his own accord. So he asked.**

**"I want to… get married…" He mumbled. "To you. I want to ask you to… um… marry me."**

**She closed her eyes slowly, and sighed.**

**"You are such an idiot." She said, calmly. "Of course I will." **

**He blinked. After all that, it had been that… easy? **

**"Really?"**

**"That's what I said."**

**He grabbed hold of her then, and right there, amidst the smells of ball polish and grease, in front of all his old friends, he kissed her again.**

**His friends applauded, and two of them teased. He ignored them.**

**Mai held onto him as though her life depended on it. Truly, before she had met these guys at Duellist Kingdom, there hadn't been much hope for her. And even after that, when she'd assumed she wouldn't see them anymore, or that they'd want nothing more to do with her, they had. This guy in particular. He was clumsy and rude, with no manners, elegance or particular charms. But he smiled- goofily- just for her, and in that he was special. For that, she loved him. That was why she didn't need to think about her answer. That's why she just said yes.**

**Even so, they never did figure out who had changed the message. They all denied it and put it down to 'divine intervention'. **

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_Seto strode down the corridor, the lights unnatural and glaring. There didn't seem to be any time at all in this place, although his watch claimed it was night for a little while longer. His hand clasped tightly around the polystyrene cup of coffee he'd brought from the machine on this floor. It was very cheap coffee, which tasted like every other liquid in the contraption; a taste vaguely resembling what he imagined to be that of dirty dishwater. However, it contained caffeine, and that was all he was concerned about. _

_Well, one of the two things he was concerned about._

_He reached the right door and pushed it open. Inside, it was dark, as if the time of day made any difference to the occupant, lying motionless in a bed beneath the window; dirty blue curtains pulled across it. Light spilt in from the corridor into the room, flowing over her face. It seemed so pale, so lifeless. She didn't move as he stood there, made no sound besides those the machines she was hooked up made for her. The heart monitor bleeped forlornly to the rhythm of her heart, the oxygen mask strapped over her face emitting the occasional hiss. She'd almost suffocated under the rubble, the doctors said, and what she had managed to breathe in was all dust. Her lungs were almost shot. Above the mask, her eyes were closed, her forehead adorned with bruises and cuts, like the rest of her beaten body. Seto hesitated in the doorway to Az's hospital room._

_"Go in," A nurse prompted, seeing him. "Talk to her. She'll hear you. Don't worry about waking her up, it's fine!"_

_And so, Seto stepped inside, and shut the door behind him; so no-one could see or hear what happened in that room._

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"Asuka…" He said cautiously, pulling back a little. She slid her hand from his face, down his neck and arm, to rest awkwardly on his hand.

"What's wrong?" She asked, concerned. "It's alright, no-one will see us here…"

"That's not it." He said, uncomfortably. "It's just… I'm not sure."

She looked at him, upset. "You don't like me?"

"No, I do, I just… I do, really." He swallowed. It was true. He really did like her. But then, why was he so nervous? Why wouldn't his heart stop pounding in worry? And it was just a kiss she wanted, nothing more. Just a kiss…

"Is it that you don't think I'm pretty?" She asked, slowly, forcing him to look at her.

"You know you are." He said, exasperated. No-one could deny it. "But-"

"Then come on." She coaxed. "I really like you, Michael. Please."

"I…" He nodded, trying to convince himself. He did like her. There was no reason why he shouldn't kiss her. And he shouldn't be so scared all the time. He leant towards her, and she came towards him. Their noses were touching, but then he stopped, unsure.

"Come on… It's alright, don't be scared…" She reassured him. "It's just a kiss, right?"

**Anna tried to convince herself she wasn't doing anything wrong as they moved. Daisuke was right. It was just a dance. Why shouldn't she? She was at a dance. Why couldn't she dance? And nothing Seto said would convince her otherwise.**

Only**, something inside reminded he**r. He's not saying anything. It's you who can't convince yourself.

**Still, it was just a dance. It wasn't like she was kissing the guy. Although, the song was finishing, and she could feel him pressing against her, and leaning towards her…**

She brushed her lips over his unresponsive mouth. He turned his face away.

"No, I'm sorry, I can't."

"What?"

**After all, Anna reminded herself as he loomed ever closer. It's how you end a slow dance. Part of the dance, everyone else was kissing. It's just a dance.**

**Just a dance…**

**Just a dance that she wanted to dance with Seto.**

**She leapt away from him, feeling disgusted with herself. She had been about to… she would've…**

"I can't." He repeated weakly, cursing himself. He was such a wimp. This was the most attractive girl more then likely to ever show an interest in him, and he was too much of a coward to do anything, too shy to ever get anywhere with girls. Embarrassed, he climbed to his feet, muttered something about finding Yami, and headed hastily off. To his surprise, he met her and Tomasu coming the other way.

"There you are. Where did you get to?" Yami asked him, curiously. "We've been looking all over for you! Maya's just gone to check that clearing… We'd better go get her… You're on next!"

Reluctantly, he headed back the way he'd come, not wanting to face Asuka. Unfortunately, Maya had found her first. They weren't best pleased to see each other.

"If you're looking for Michael, he just left." Asuka said, coldly. Maya turned around, about to leave, not wanting to deal with this, but she continued. "But, you know, there isn't much point in looking."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Asuka got to her feet, smirking, an elegant finger tapping her chin. "Well, he's already got everything he wants… in me. He knows I'd satisfy all his desires…"

"You're disgusting." Maya spat. "You don't even like him, do you?"

"Aww, jealous?" Asuka wheedled. She wrinkled her nose. "I don't know. I suppose he's a little cute. People would probably go for him if they knew they couldn't do any better."

"So superficial…" Maya shot back. Asuka laughed.

"Excuse me?! What right do _you _have of accusing others of that?" She began to lose her temper. "You're the smart, attractive one who can sing and perform, aren't you?! _You're _the rich one! But now you know how it feels, don't you? How it feels to see someone else having everything you want…" She went and whispered in her ear venomously. "You feel it?"

Maya chuckled. "Your envy _has_ gotten the better of you, hasn't it? Fool. We haven't even spoken. You just presume to judge, and hide your spitefulness behind something else."

"Spiteful? It's unfair, seeing you get all the glory, the recognition, the-"

"Trust me." Maya snarled. "You don't want what I have."

"Oh, that's right…" She cooed. "Your mom's dead, isn't she? Well, don't we all feel sorry for her- she has _everything_, absolutely _everything_- oh, except a mother. Ha. But have comfort in the fact she probably wasn't up to much- I expect she married your dad for his money. I don't know why else anyone would. I can't imagine him being particularly touchy feely, either. I'll bet you were conceived in a Petri dish, weren't you?"

Maya stared at her, at a loss for words. She'd come across nastiness before, almost constantly, but this was… Asuka continued to rant. But she hadn't lost her temper. The speech was slow, controlled. That made it worse, somehow.

"But, you know… I heard about it, Kaiba, that she left you a letter. Well, isn't that funny? She must have known she was 'dying'. But there wasn't a body, was there? How odd. And I bet you don't know what she died _of_, do you? No? Well… I expect she isn't even dead. She probably just ran off. I would to, if I had a husband and kid like that. After all, I doubt she was very honest."

"She… died… You-"

"You could be right, of course. Maybe she threw herself off a bridge somewhere. After all, I guess there wouldn't be a body if it was rotting beneath twenty feet of water. They wouldn't find it down there, covered in the _filth _in the river bank. Yes, that's probably it. That letter- is it a suicide note?"

She reeled back as Maya's hand made hard, furious contact with her face, a slap so harsh that Asuka fell over backwards. Maya couldn't even speak, tears of rage or something else pooling in her eyes. She fingered the envelope in her pocket. She had been intending to finally read it today, to find somewhere quiet and open it. But now…

"Maya…" A voice came in horror. They looked to see Michael, Yami and Tomasu; who had arrived just a moment before.

"Michael!" Asuka cried, as Maya remained silent. "Did… Did you see that? Did you see what your stupid friend did?!"

"Yes." He answered, and Asuka smiled; but it withered away as he and the other two glared at her. "You know what else? I heard what you said to her about her mom."

"I…"

"You are scum." Yami said, quite pleasantly.

"Get out of here." Tomasu said, the first and only time they heard contempt in his voice. Asuka scrambled to her feet and ran off in the direction of the beach. They turned to their friend, who still hadn't said a word.

"You okay, Mac?" Yami asked, gently. Maya had the letter in her hand and was looking at it, face unreadable.

"Hey, just ignore her." Michael answered, anger still evident in his voice. "She's talking out of her rear."

"But she's right." Maya said, suddenly. "There isn't a body. There's a memorial stone somewhere, but there isn't a grave. There isn't a body."

"Maya…" Tomasu tried. She spoke over him.

"But she must have known she was going to die to write this!" Maya shouted, suddenly. "Man, what do I care?! I've done without her up till now! Why should I let this letter throw me?! All she's done for me is leave me without _either _of my parents! I don't want to read pages of whining and _reasons_! Screw her!" She threw the letter hard, into one of the bushes, then stared back at their surprised faces. "I… Don't look at me like that! I mean… Oh, what do you guys know?!"

She turned and ran.

"**Yes?"**

**"Seto…?" Her heart was in her mouth as Seto glowered down at her. "Do you… do you remember me?"**

**Seto's eye widened a little as she spoke, recognizing her at last, then, with a lot more audacity then he'd ever had before, he leant down and kissed her.**

The words were lies. They had to be lies. But they had struck a chord with Maya somewhere, inside her, somehow grabbing hold of all her fears and treacherous thoughts, and sent them spinning around her head at once. Because Maya didn't know her mother. She didn't know anything about her. How was she to know that Az had loved him more then anything, or that he had loved her back? How was she to know what they'd been through? Seto had never told her, and Mokuba knew it wasn't his place. Az had told her, but it was all in that letter.

So how was Maya to know?

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_It was morning, and neither of the Kaiba brothers were here. She was half disappointed, and half relieved. She wanted them to be here explaining that it was all a misunderstanding, or a horrible dream; but she didn't want them to be here forcing her to face the truth._

_It _was_ the truth. She hated it, but she couldn't deny it. She began to cry again._

_"Are you that pleased to see me?" Someone asked gently, with slight traces of humour. She rolled over._

_"Ryou!" She gasped, and immediately sat up to hug him. He returned the embrace warmly. _

_"Well, when I said I was coming to visit, I certainly didn't imagine doing so in a hospital…" He remarked, wryly. "It's good to see you."_

_Anna couldn't help it. For two days, she hadn't seen another living soul, hadn't heard a kind word. She began to cry again. He took it in his stride, letting her weep all over him. When it seemed to subside a little, he handed her a tissue and patiently waited for her to mop herself up. _

_"Now then." He said, calmly. "I get the impression this isn't all about the accident. What's wrong?"_

_Haltingly, she explained. Ryou frowned, but his expression softened as it looked like she was going to cry again._

_"Now, don't you cry. You're not a child. You're better than that. Better than him." He looked at her sympathetically. "You're a better person then him. He doesn't deserve you, or your tears."_

_"That jerk!" Joey said, furiously. "I always warned you! I saw this coming!"_

_"Joey!" Téa reprimanded. "Don't be so insensitive! She's upset!"_

_"She's just gotta wake up!" Joey said, angrily. Then he, too, seemed to soften. "You've been sleeping too long Ann. But, y'know… this whole thing could be a blessing. Can't find out unless you wake up!"_

_"He's right." Kaho said, gently. "We're all rooting for you, Ann."_

_She nodded, trying to convince herself. "I just can't imagine being without him…"_

_"You'll be alright." Yugi said, quietly. "You'll be alright, Ann…"_

_"She'll be fine." Doug said, tone artificially light. "She's a fighter. She always has been. And she'll make it through this to."_

_"She doesn't look much of a fighter now." Tristan sighed._

_Anna made no reply. Ever since the argument had begun, she'd been lying with her eyes closed. She wanted to open them, to talk, with her friends, so close to her; but they didn't understand. Seto had lied to her, used her. It hurt. It hurt so much, all over; from her forehead to her feet. Her chest was heavy, it was hard to breathe. She loved him. Whatever she tried to believe, she loved him. It hurt so badly, she wanted to just sleep forever. She loved him…_

_"Az."_

_Seto's voice?_

_"I know you can hear me. Wake up."_

_She didn't open her eyes. She couldn't face him._

_"Az…" Pleading, desperate now. "Please, wake up. I… I need you."_

_Wake up? That's what everyone had been saying. But it came from far away. She just wanted to sleep._

_"I… love you. I never tell you, but it's true. I love you. So, please… Wake up, Az."_

_Anna jolted upright. It sent pain shooting through every inch of her body, and she collapsed back into the pillows. The ceiling was unfamiliar. She didn't know where she was. There was a tube sticking in her arm, and something stuck to her face, smothering, suffocating her, her heart raced, and a bleeping rose in frequency and pitch, screaming in her ears…!_

_"Az! Az, calm down! It's alright, it's okay…" _

_She stared up at him. "Seto… you're here…"_

_Seto couldn't understand what she was saying through the breathing mask, but nodded anyway, and gripped her hand firmly, trying to reassure her as the doctors and nurses, alarmed by the rocketing heart rate, rushed to examine her._

_"It's alright now." He whispered, hating how she looked so scared. "You'll be alright now."_

_He squeezed her hand. She stared at him in confusion, ignoring the doctors as they took the mask off her face and left the room. _

_"Seto…?"_

_"There was an earthquake." He explained, simply. "The roof collapsed, and you and some others were buried under the rubble… I dug you out, but… I've been waiting four days for you to wake up. Your parents have been here, Mokuba to, and your friends… the doctors said that if we spoke to you, you might be able to hear… Sometimes you'd even reply, almost talking in your sleep, but it made no sense. They told me you were hallucinating. I… was so scared, I stopped speaking to you yesterday… I'm sorry…" Az stared a moment longer, then began to sob. He couldn't tell if it was happiness or sadness or… relief. "Are you alright?"_

_She nodded, unable to speak for the moment. Then she smiled. "Yes. Yes, I'm fine."_

_It was true. She was surprisingly 'fine' considering a roof had been dropped on her head._

_"Seto?"_

_"Yes?"_

_"I did hear."_

_He reddened slightly. Over the course of the last few days, he's said things he would have normally been too embarrassed to say. "Ah." There was silence for a minute or more._

_"Seto?"_

_"Yes?"_

_She smiled slightly again. "I heard some pretty weird things to…" The smile fell away. "I had the most horrible dream. Hallucination. Whatever."_

_"It's over now." He assured her._

_"Yes. Yeah, it is." She smiled again, softly. Then something occurred to her. "Hey… What happened to my saxophone?"_

_Seto sighed in exasperation. And she said he had a one track mind._

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

It was the lunch break, and, for once, Seto was having it. When Mokuba came into his office, his laptop was sitting there on standby, his documents pushed to one side. He was reading a paper, radio playing in the background. This threw Mokuba a little, who usually came in at lunchtime to convince his brother to eat and to discuss the business of the day. He came and sat down anyway, and finally paid attention to the music. There was the distinctive sound of a saxophone, and he suddenly realised he recognised it.

"I remember going to see this… it was a really good show." He smiled, thinking of the musical they'd been to see all that time ago. In the version they saw, Anna was playing her part in the orchestra, and the music was as equally good as the show itself. It had been a great opportunity and great fun for her.

"This is her playing." Seto said, being no more specific. Mokuba looked at him doubtfully. For one thing, the piece hadn't been introduced, so how was he to know what cast it was? Besides, Anna had only been involved in a small production of it, and it was usually the more famous versions they played.

But, as it turned out, not on this occasion.

The piece drew to a close, and the man informed them witch cast it was, and the year. It really was the one Ann had played in. Mokuba looked at Seto in exasperation.

"How did you know?"

"I know." He shrugged. Then, after a slight pause, he said something that was equally surprising. "I wonder how Maya's getting on."

Mokuba sighed. "How should I know?" Silently, he wished that Seto could show his daughter that he cared for her rather then just doing it in private moments like these. He had, once. He had very much doted on his little girl, once. But after Anna had left them, things had gone wrong. He had been waiting for so long for things to get back on track he was beginning to feel that they might remain permanently diverted.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

**"Please, hear me out." Millierie pleaded. Azreal said nothing, so she took it as permission to continue. "I just didn't want you to make the same mistakes I did…"**

**"What, end up with an illegitimate kid?" Azreal replied sarcastically. "Wow, thanks for the advice, mom."**

**"No." Millierie said gently. "You don't belong here. You were never to designed to have a job with so many rules. You were designed to live."**

**"Oh, glad to hear I don't have to top myself."**

**"You love him."**

**That surprised her. Azreal looked up in shock, but Millierie just smiled back sedately. **

** "Don't make my mistake. Az… look, I've hardly been a good mother. I haven't really been any kind of mother at all. But, look, let me do this one thing for you. Stop doing what she think you should do, do what you feel you should do… I mean… Look, go back to that Kaiba guy, alright? I have a feeling he needs you. Your father too. I have a feeling… that he'll be a better parent then me, Anna."**

**Azreal looked up, trying to comprehend what Millierie was saying to her. "But…" **

**"You don't want to be here, Azreal." Mother told daughter gently. "You never did. You just knew that you ought to."**

**Azreal looked at her mom for a while, the doubts showing, but then… Suddenly, she sprung forward and hugged her mom hard. Millierie held her for a while, vaguely thinking of how things could've, should've, been. But it was too late now. She pushed Azreal away.**

**"Now, go on." She said "Your sisters are waiting to see you off." Azreal nodded, scared to speak unless she started to cry again. She began to walk off, when Millierie called after her. "And, for goodness sake, don't screw this one up Azreal! You need him!"**

**"I won't!"**

**Millierie watched as her daughter left. Things could've been so different for her… but now, perhaps things would finally turn around for her.**

**"Goodbye, Azreal… good luck!"**

**That girl… she'd need all the luck in the world and then some to pull this off.**

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"Maya!" Michael called in annoyance as the three of them ran after her. "Maya!"

"Stop following me! Leave me alone!"

Michael growled in irritation and put on an extra spurt of speed, trying to catch up with her. "Would you stop running?"

"I would if you'd stop following!"

They continued to run, Maya in the lead, Michael behind her, and Yami and Tomasu just behind him. Cursing continuously under her breath, Maya lead them into the maze. Corridor after corridor. Cave after cave.

"Go away!"

"I can't! We're lost now! Stop!"

"Michael! Just go away! What do you even care?!"

He caught hold of her arm, and she jerked to a halt. "Of course we care, idiot! You're our friend! So stop this pathetic loner complex!"

"I never asked for your friendship!"

"No, you earnt it!" He snapped. "So deal with it! We're your friends, and we're not just going to leave you after someone said… all that!"

"I…" She stared at him, not sure how to react to that.

"Mac, you can't half run." Yami said, as the other two arrived, panting a little. The four of them stood in silence for a while, in the gloom, trying to get their breath back. They could hear the crashing sounds of the sea.

"We must be in the cliffs somewhere." Maya said, blatantly changing the subject, but nobody stopped her. She found a hole in the wall, about the size of her hand, and looked out. There was water just below the level of the hole. "The tide must be coming in. I bet this whole place floods." She muttered.

"What?" Yami sounded, alarmed.

"Relax, we'll get out before then." Michael told her.

"No, no, don't you remember? The safety talks for the Mazes!" Yami said, fearfully. "These caves are falling apart- They said when the tide is high the entire catacomb network floods!"

"We'd better get going." Tomasu answered.

"But… Don't forget… they seal the caves. To stop the water getting out. That's why they told us not to come in here."

They all looked at each other, shocked.

"No…" Maya muttered. "I mean…"

Michael was already running down the corridor they'd entered by. He didn't get very far. They heard him curse, the clang of a metal door. That was all they needed to know. Yami and Tomasu hurriedly checked the other passageway that came in here. It was the same story. About half way along was a closed metal slider.

"We're trapped."

Maya swallowed. This was because of her breakdown. But there would be time for apologies later. They all jumped as a particularly high wave slopped through the hole, splashing a puddle over the floor. This was bad.

"The rock must be weak." Maya said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Where the hole is, I mean. If we can widen it, we could swim for it…"

"Not in a sea like that." Tomasu said, quietly. "Even the strongest swimmer… We'd be sucked back as the water poured in here and drowned all the quicker."

They looked at him and at each other in disbelief. This was stupid. This sort of thing didn't happen. It couldn't happen.

"What now?" Yami asked, looking to Maya, the resident genius.

"I…"

"We don't give up!" Michael said, fiercely. "We're not just going to sit here and wait to die! The cave won't fill up for ages. We're not just going to give up!"

Somewhere else entirely on the island, Asuka was crying. It had all gone to pieces. Once again, Kaiba had beaten her. And Michael hated her, too. She'd never had a boy reject her before, had anyone looked at her so angrily. He actually hated her. He didn't care how good she looked, he knew her heart was ugly. So did she. She'd known it when she'd said all that stuff to Kaiba. But… what else could she have done? What else could she be?

Another wave came in over the edge of the floor. The puddles were getting deeper, and the cave was getting darker as the waves came higher. Yami grabbed hold of Tomasu's hand, frightened. But she swallowed and spoke with determination.

"Well then. I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to find a way out of here…"

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

**They were sprawled on the living room floor. Azreal lay on her stomach, legs kicking idly in the air as she considered her next card, trying to decide on which stat to choose. Opposite, Seto sat propped up against the sofa, also looking at his card in a kind of detached interest. By far the oddest thing about this game was that they knew most of the people featured on the cards. Grinning, Azreal looked up.**

**"Now, ready to lose? Again?" She grinned.**

**Seto rolled his eyes. "There's no skill involved in this game. It's all luck."**

**"Then I guess my luck must be better then yours." Azreal replied, poking her tongue out at him as she gestured at her huge pile compared to his tiny one. "Anyways, Charisma."**

**Seto sighed, slightly in disbelief, and also with a slight smirk. "Sixteen." He said, already holding the card out to her.**

**"Ninety four." Azreal smiled, taking Joey's card version off Seto, and showing him her card- **_**Ryou Bakura. **_**"Check it out. Ryou's a pretty good card. I guess Joey is to, most of his stats beat Ryou's, but charisma wise…"**

**"Just get on with it." Seto told her tolerantly, drawing his next card from his much-depleted pile. "I haven't got many left…" he mourned.**

**"It'll be less soon." Azreal teased, drawing hers. **_**Espa Roba. **_**A fairly good card, but could it beat Seto's…?**

**She looked up, trying to tell whether his card was good or bad by the look on his face. Normally, it was a futile gesture- Seto kept his emotions guarded as always- but at this precise second, he looked thoroughly baffled, confused, lost… and more then a little disbelieving. But he looked so relaxed…**

**Impulsively, Azreal half-rolled across the room, and hugged him.**

** "That's cheating." Seto reprimanded lightly, trying to move his arm from the uncomfortable position it was pinned in. "You're not supposed to look at my card." He felt her shift as she shook slightly with laughter.**

**"Oh, Seth…" She sighed a mixed sigh of exasperation and amusement. "Forget about the game for a minute, would you? You're being glomped." None the less, she twisted slightly, so only her head rested on his chest. "Sorry. Couldn't help it… you just looked so lost and… bewildered… cute…Meh."**

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_**We're going around the mazes today. Thin corridors. Dark. Underground.**_

_**Oh, yeah, fun. Hence why I'm writing this at five in the morning.**_

_**But I have to do it. I mean, claustrophobia is so stupid. So weak. Pathetic, really. But… it's just, every time I have that dream, when I'm in that little dark space- and I had it again last night- it gets to me. I wish I could get to the end of it sometime; maybe if I found out who was coming I'd be okay. Whatever- knowing the root of my 'fear' is nowhere near solving it.**_

_**I don't know who you are my reader, but you'd better not tell anyone. I've trusted you with all my innermost thoughts and feelings over the years when most people don't even realise I have them. So don't let me down. Because it is only within these pages that I am anything more than a shell that walks and talks and sings and works. I like it that way; and even when I'm with people like Michael and Yami and that Tomasu fish guy who seem to want to get close to me… Hmm. I guess we'll have to see how close they want to be if they ever find out what lies behind these blue eyes of mine.**_

_**Most of the time, I don't even want to go there myself; don't forget.**_

_**And a place I defiantly don't want to go is the maze. But, I will! For crying out loud, I'm stronger then that! I'm not going to cower in a corner!**_

_**Besides, I'm going around with Michael and Yami and Tomasu, so I have to be brave. I think that if they mocked me now, I might be dangerously close to caring. I think I'm just tired. When we get home everything will be back to normal, and we'll have nothing to do with each other again, I bet. So I'll just get through the next few days; the maze and the card tournament today. **_

_**And… I think I'll maybe read mom's letter today. Because I'm not letting one fear stop me from doing anything; so why should it be any different for this one?**_

_**Even so, I'm dreading it. Both of them.**_

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

A/N: There, all done! Yay! So, will they get out of the cave in time? Will Asuka find repentance? Will Maya ever know about her mom? And the appearance of some new old faces… Plus scenes from the married life of Seto and Az; coming up in **Fall or Fly Chapter Five: Submerge…**


	6. Submerge

A/N: As promised, this fic was _not _discontinued after all, and after a stupidly long hiatus I've finally scraped a chapter together. Pretty much straight after the last update it was exam season, plus all the emotional overloads of leaving school etc; and during that I really didn't have the will power to write anything more complex then one-shots. Which is why so many have popped up. After doing my exams, I must confess, I really lost the plot with this one. I tried, but couldn't get back into it at all- cue _more _one-shots. On top of which, naturally, came all the other summer stuff to do or sort out and trying to write some original stuff… well, I'll admit this got rather pushed aside. I've been slowly getting back into it though, basically writing one or two scenes in a day, so hopefully I'll resume my normal, albeit slow, about-once-a-month updates. More on that at the end, though.

Disclaimer: Obviously, Yu-Gi-Oh is still not mine.

Before we start, I have to apologise once again for the stupidly long gap. Thanks for being patient with me and my writer's block, laziness, business, and other distractions! Without any further ado, here is chapter Five! And, just in case it's been too long, we rejoin Maya, Michael, Yami and Tomasu in the underground mazes that Maya ran into after Asuka was very insulting about Azreal and theories on how she died. Unfortunately, now that the tide is coming in, the caves have been sealed off and are worrying quickly filling with water… A ton of flashbacks in this one, too. :D

Five- Submerge

"_Would you wait up?!"_

_"Oh, come on, Doug!" She called back jovially. "You can go faster then that!" _

_"Not when I'm trying to keep things dry!"_

_"The tide's gonna get ya!"_

_That day, they'd both been off work, and, Millierie had phoned him and asked if he wanted to go down to the beach. Looking out of the window and seeing the sun beaming down, Doug had agreed- Why not? Maybe he could even get some sketches done._

_Phfft. Yeah, right. His drawings were as dead as they'd been for months. The difference was, Millierie encouraged him endlessly, and now he drew or painted whenever and wherever he had chance, even if it was still a fruitless effort. He felt so close, as though there was just one more obstacle to break through, but could not- it was endlessly frustrating. But he had had fun today, just hanging out on the beach as though they were ten years younger, just a bunch of silly teenagers. Unfortunately, responsibility had once again reared it's ugly head- they'd stayed too long, and now the tide was approaching in the stupidly fast way this beach was famous for. The sand had been drowned completely, and they were running along in ankle-deep water that got deeper by the second. And here he was, with everything clustered hurriedly in his hands, trying to save it all from the wet. _

_"Doug, come on!" Millierie said fiercely, grabbing some of the load from his arms. "Now, let's go!"_

_He didn't go. In fact, he stood there, chuckling._

_"What?" She asked, trying to frown but finding his laughter contagious and unable to stop a smirk. _

_"You're just acting so gung-ho about it all…" He snorted._

_"Hmmph!" She sniffed, kicking water up at him._

_"Hey!" He yelled. "I was supposed to be keeping this lot _dry_!"_

_"Oh?" She mocked, allowing her bundle to plunk into the water, and using her now free arms to splash him._

_Oh, why not?_

_Doug promptly let go of his lot to, and fought back, running up and grabbing her arms to still them. "Stop it!" He commanded. She laughed, looking up at him. _

_What he said next was completely compulsive and spontaneous, but, after it occurred to him, he couldn't see why not. He seemed to be acting very spontaneous today. As it was so sudden, he did not frill it up or try to make it romantic. He just said it as it came to his mind._

_"Marry me, Millie."_

_She looked at him in shock, pulling her arms away. Somehow, he knew he'd said the wrong thing. "Doug…" She said, hesitantly. "I can't marry you."_

_Feeling a fool, Doug looked away, trying to gather the items floating and bobbling on the waves, and those that had sunk below it. By now, the water was knee height. He should have known! Millie wouldn't want to marry him, not after her last experience of marriage. What a fool he was! Why did he say that? What an idiot!_

_"I can't…" She sounded as though she was crying, and, when she knelt down, ignoring the water soaking through her clothes and looked him in the eye, he could see she was. "Because I haven't…told you something."_

_Doug knelt down beside her, hardly breathing. The way she said it, it sounded like she wanted to. He could hardly dare hope… However, what she said next was unexpected._

_"Doug, I'm not human!"_

_He looked at her in surprise. She _looked _human enough… Millierie, however, was still babbling on._

_"I'm a Muse. I know it's weird and you'll think I'm mad but it's true! I come from a floating city hidden on the outskirts of Earth's atmosphere! We come and inspire humans to work creatively because it releases a product we need to survive!" She was sobbing now. "And I was sent to inspire you! You were a case for me! But I was stupid and let it evolve into more then that! I'm so sorry, I should never have let this happen! I'm not supposed to have any feelings for a client, but I do! I know it'll be hard to believe and you won't know weather all these times we've had were lies, but please, just believe that I'm really sorry!" She looked away, taking several deep breaths. "I wanted to tell you. But if I did… I was worried they'd send me away. I'm such a coward… but now you know. I'm _not _a human, Doug." She stood up, ready to splash her way back to the steps out of the watery beach. She was surprised when he caught her arm. "Huh?" Doug was looking down at the water, but now he looked up at her._

_"You still haven't given me an answer." He said, quietly._

_She stared at him in shock._

_He laughed sheepishly. "I confess that I really have no idea what you're talking about. But you say you're not human." He looked her right in the eye. "Millie, I don't care._ _It doesn't matter _what_ you are, I want to marry _you_, not a…species. And I'd really like it if you could find it in your heart to say yes."_

_She looked at him, long and hard, without expression. Then she broke into a smile, and jumped onto him. They both fell into the waves, but it didn't matter. They didn't even feel the cold, wrapped in each other's arms. _

_Millierie pulled away, water dripping from the tips of her hair onto his face. "Yes." She smiled._

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"We're trapped."

The words, said for the second time, were the final nail in their coffin of resignation. Michael lent against a damp wall, looking numbly down at the water that was now above his ankles and refused to wonder what they could do now. Just as they had been warned, the catacombs were closed off by heavy metal shutters during high tide, so that when they filled with water they would not flood the island. They would be drained at low tide, but it would be too late by then. The exits were blocked by the metal doors, and although there were dozens of small holes in the seaward wall that were currently letting the water in, none of them were large enough to get out of. To make matters worse, the higher the water climbed the more holes it would pore through. The final straw was that it was beginning to get dark judging by the way the sunlight was turning orange.

And then something occurred to Michael. Just how was the sunlight getting in?

He craned his neck and looked up to find that there was a large hole in the ceiling, so large he reckoned all of them could squeeze out at once if they had to. He remembered vaguely that in their initial exploration of the island they had come across a deep looking pool, and realised that this must be it, when the cave was full. Of course, right then, that didn't matter to him. He hoped he'd found their escape.

But it was too high. So high that even if they somehow managed to all stand on top of each other it would still fall short. They were right at the foot of a cliff, and the hole may as well have been at it's very highest peak. Michael spotted a thin, natural ledge at head height, dragged himself up, but it didn't do any good. He hopped back down, the water splashing and soaking, and said, for the final time, those bleak words.

"We're trapped."

Still, it didn't do to dwell on that; they had to do what they could. So, he splashed his way over to Yami, who's lack of height was a definite disadvantage here. She was a good foot shorter than any of them, and the water was half way to her knees already.

"Yami… On the ledge." He said. "You probably need the higher ground more then the rest of us."

"What?" She seemed a little tearful. "No! I'm not just going to sit up there and watch the rest of you drown first!"

"Someone will come and get us before then." Michael answered, but even to him his words sounded unconvincing. "But we have more time than you. Just sit on the ledge."

"No! Don't pat-"

"Excuse me." Tomasu said, and in his quiet, well meaning way, he picked her up, carried her through the water, and sat her down on the stone. "Don't make me watch you drown." He said to her, quietly, and she squeezed his hand. Tomasu himself turned away a little. He'd spent most of his life at sea, but generally that had been in a boat, more recently in _The Water Charmer. _He wondered what would become of her without him. She'd probably be chopped up for fire wood, resold, or else left to decay. He thought too, of his parents. Tomasu was not a student on this trip, the only people who knew who he was were in this cave with him. His mom and dad would probably never find out where he had died, he would simply not return from the boat race. It seemed an eternity since he had drifted off course and ended up here, the place where it seemed he would die. His parents would probably eventually assume he had died at sea, and, in a way, he had.

Still, all things considered, he was glad. Glad that he had lost his way and ended up here, glad that he had met Maya and Michael and Yami. At least, if they really did die here, he had met Yami first.

Meanwhile, Michael was trying to convince Maya up onto the ledge. She wasn't being persuaded too easily, because she was less than a centimetre shorter than Michael and taller than Tomasu by about the same amount. There was only room for two people on that ledge, she said, and she insisted it should be Tomasu. While all this went on, Yami simply sat, embarrassed and humiliated.

"It has to be you." Michael said desperately, suddenly grabbing Maya's forearms.

"Why? Some code of chivalry because I'm a girl?"

"Yes!" He answered, finally showing stress. "It has to be you because I'd never forgive myself if I didn't do my best to stop you drowning! And because… because you can't get this wet!" Suddenly, out of his pocket, he pulled the envelope, Azreal's letter, that Maya had thrown into the bushes after the argument with Asuka. He pushed it into her hand, but continued to hold it. "Take this, sit on that rock, and read it." He insisted. "You have to, because… this may be your last chance, Maya. This could be it."

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Maya sat up on the rock, flicking the envelope in her hands. She wasn't sure whether she should open it, because it felt like she would be opening Pandora's box. She didn't want to know just how her mother had known she was going to die, or why there was no body. She didn't want to hear.

But she didn't want to drown here not knowing either.

Maya swallowed, somehow knowing this letter would tell her things she didn't want to know. She was sorely tempted to toss the letter into the water and let it disintegrate.

Yami suddenly touched her arm. "Go on."

"Maya, you need to." Michael said, gently.

"Don't miss the chance, or you'll always wonder." Tomasu quietly offered his opinion.

She hesitated a moment longer, and then tore the envelope open. There was a wedge of several sheets of paper, and folded inside, a large black feather. She ignored it for the moment and determinedly began to read.

_**Maya,**_

**H**_**ow **_**d**_**oes o**_**n**_**e **_**b**_**egi**_**n **_**a **_**l**_**e**_**tt**_**e**_**r l**_**ike **_**th**_**is? I'm so**_**rr**_**y. Ki**_**nd**_**a **_**b**_**a**_**d**_** a**_**t****t**_**his- we**_**ll**_**, I'**_**v**_**e **_**n**_**e**_**v**_**e**_**r****d**_**o**_**n**_**e i**_**t****b**_**e**_**f**_**o**_**r**_**e. I **_**d**_**o**_**n**_**'**_**t**_** wa**_**nt****t**_**o **_**n**_**ow, a**_**nd**_** I'm c**_**r**_**yi**_**n**_**g, w**_**h**_**ich **_**d**_**oes**_**n**_**'**_**t****h**_**e**_**lp**_** muc**_**h**__

_**You see, as I'm w**_**r**_**i**_**t**_**i**_**n**_**g **_**th**_**is, you a**_**r**_**e si**_**tt**_**i**_**n**_**g qui**_**t**_**e **_**h**_**a**_**pp**_**i**_**l**_**y wa**_**t**_**c**_**h**_**i**_**n**_**g a **_**v**_**i**_**d**_**eo **_**t**_**a**_**p**_**e. A**_**nd **_**I **_**d**_**o**_**n**_**'**_**t **_**wa**_**nt t**_**o **_**l**_**ea**_**v**_**e you, o**_**r**_** you**_**r f**_**a**_**th**_**e**_**r**_**. I**_**t**_**'s **_**n**_**o**_**t****d**_**yi**_**n**_**g I'm a**_**fr**_**ai**_**d**_** o**_**f**_**; we**_**ll**__**n**_**o**_**t****t**_**oo muc**_**h**_**. I'm scared for you and your father. I hope he looks after you. I know Mokuba will, but Seto… he'll find it harder. I'm so scared for what will happen to him once I'm…**_

_**I want to screw this thing up again now, but I've already used a life-times' worth of paper. So I shall just scribble something out and envelope it up as it is, with all my spelling mistakes and crossings out and wet patches and whatever else. Because it's important. I have something important to tell you.**_

_**I'm not going to say I love you. I won't, because I know you'll think: How can she? She doesn't know me. (Heh… That stings to write.) I guess I can say I love you now, as I know you, as my little girl. What I really want to tell you, though, what I really need to say, is how you and your father are the best thing that have ever happened to me.**_

_**And I know what Seto's like. I know he is grumpy and rude and unfeeling and whatever else, but I love him; and he loves me, and he loves you- even though he's probably not terribly good at it where you're reading from. Am I right?**_

_**I'll bet one thing, though. I'll bet he'll never tell you our stories. So I shall, the whole story of what I am and who you are. Everything, I promise.**_

_**Well, alright, I'll omit the bits that would be too embarrassing for both of us. But apart from that…**_

_**You've probably found the feather I'm going to put in the envelope. I'll explain that one later. But, for now, just keep hold of it. Keep it safe, because it will keep you safe. I don't really have any wise words to go with it- you'll see pretty fast I'm not too wise. I'm pretty dumb, actually, so I really hope you take after your father on the brains thing. If there's one thing I've learnt in my life, just one thing, I guess it's… that there are no answers. That's all, and it really sucks, so I hope you figure things out better then I do.**_

_**Just do your best, and always, always, do what you think is right. I love you, my darling girl. (I know I said I wouldn't say that… but one does get sentimental when trying to keep an artificially light tone.)**_

_** I'm going to die, Maya, and fairly soon, and leave you and your father behind. I don't want to, but I can't really help it. Sometimes, I think it isn't fair and- **_

_**I won't cross that bit out. I'll leave it honest. But I won't complain.**_

_**So. Here's my story, I guess, if you want to believe it or not. This might give just that little clue to who I am. But, Maya, it won't tell you who you are. You'll have to write your own story.**_

_**In the meantime, here's mine.**_

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_"Téa? Have you been here all night?"_

_The girl shook her head mutely, but Kaho felt no less concerned as she entered the small clearing surrounded by trees just behind the trees. The two stood, looking at the pile of mossy rocks that marked where the shrine had once stood. Marked where Az and Seto had taken a porthole up to Wherever the day before. They had not come back. They had all felt it as their connection to the two had abruptly snapped. They had, in essence, felt death._

_None of them had slept very much._

_And it was clear to see, as, one by one, by some unspoken consensus or feeling, the others turned up. Dark shadows under red eyes. Quiet and still, they all stood together, looking at it, unsure of what to do or say- but with the overriding feeling that they should do _something_. Az's family had returned to Wherever the day before, but Mokuba was here. He'd ended up spending the night at the house of his brother's rival; and now he stared blankly ahead._

_"We shouldn't be upset." Joey said, suddenly. "I mean, Ann was always so… Happy."_

_They all nodded in agreement, but it was easier said then done. _

_"Still… I feel like we should do something…" Téa spoke up. "I mean, they died here, saving all those muses… and no-one's going to know."  
"We know." Tristan pointed out._

_"Everyone should know." Yugi answered, mildly. "But who can we tell? No-one even knows about the muses…"_

_"We could put a marker." Mokuba suggested, swallowing. They all looked at him. It was the first time he'd spoken since the day before. "You know. So if people ever find this place…" He trailed off, and didn't speak again as they set to. The best they could do was find a discarded piece of timber, prop it upright, and write on it in marker pen. Téa looked at the dismal arrangement and began to cry again. It was so pathetic. Hardly a fitting memorial for someone who was very dear to her. Her friends gathered round, holding back their own tears._

_"Don't cry…" They muttered as they all stood huddled together, looking at the group, a shivering group of misery. "Please, don't cry…"_

_"Oh, man, don't tell me you guys have joined some freakish woodland cult. Because I _seriously _could not deal with that right now…" She groaned._

_They all turned and stared at Anna and Seto in shock as he helped her down the pile of rocks. Mokuba ran to his rather surprised brother and held him tightly. Seto, bewildered and a little embarrassed, realised he would get no sense out of Mokuba for a few minutes and self-consciously let him cling on, holding his shoulders. Apart from that, Seto looked extremely racked off; liable to explode at any minute._

_Anna, on the other hand, just looked tired- with the stress and irritation that comes with it. She rubbed her face sleepily, and looked back to see that they were still staring at her._

_"What?" She asked, weary but alert now. "Oh, man, what's happened?"_

_"You died…" Téa muttered in disbelief. Az looked at her, baffled._

_"Pardon?"_

_Téa just shook her head, the emotional overload preventing her from speaking. Confused, Az tried to appeal to Seto._

_"Seto? She just said we died…" Frowning, she looked over at the plank of wood. "What's this? Hey… aww…" She suddenly grinned at them. "I really _did _show up late to my own funeral! Cool!"_

_"Is that what this about?" Seto asked Mokuba, who was still grabbing at him and nodded. "What in the floating cities gave you such a stupid idea?"_

_"We felt it." Kaho offered, as Ann smiled at Seto picking up her phrases. "I mean," She continued, flustered and disbelieving. "We felt the Nothing disappear, and the two of you with it! We felt you… go…!"_

_Seto and Az looked at each other. He shrugged impatiently and she scratched her ear thoughtfully. _

_"Hmm…" She clicked her fingers. "Aha! I'll bet it was my Muse bit that you were all clinging on to and when that went you thought we'd gone too!" Then she saw their confused expressions. "See, my muse half got absorbed by the Nothing quicker than my human half. And then my human half got spat back out. And then we had to hang from a platform for _hours_ until we were rescued. My arms don't half hurt."_

_They all just continued to gawp at her._

_"At least, that's the theory." Anna continued, shrugging. "Actually, I don't have a clue."_

_Then, they all moved as one, grabbed hold of her. She yelled in surprise, but accepted the group hug. They had been genuinely scared for her. Seto too, but they knew if they touched him, particularly while he was in this mood, they wouldn't have any limbs left. Then they let Anna go, asked lots of questions which she was too tired to answer and eventually allowed her to leave, go home, and sleep._

_They were so relieved that the two were alive that it wasn't until they left that they remembered to be hideously embarrassed. _

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_Azreal looked around, sighing happily. Everything had turned out as well as, no, better, than she could have hoped. It was Mokuba's seventeenth birthday party- although 'party' did not really seem adequate to describe it. It was colossal. Most of Seto's employees, at least of the main HQ, were there, and so were their families. Mokuba certainly wasn't being eased into Kaiba Corp gently. Later that evening, he'd have to make a speech to all these people. But he'd be fine. She knew he would be._

_She moved ever so slightly closer to her dance partner. She could hardly believe she could finally call him that. All these years, Seto had not danced with her. Ever. They'd been together more then six years, and he'd never danced with her. He didn't like dancing. But tonight, looking rather dashing in his suit, he had. In fact, he'd asked her. And, as they swayed back and forth, her heart was still pounding in excitement. It didn't matter how long they'd been together, he still made her heart flutter. She got giddy like a school girl just being around him, no matter how grumpy he was. Tonight, though, she had to admit, he seemed a little preoccupied. When she pressed her head to his chest as they swayed, she could feel his heart pounding. But she didn't ask what was wrong. He'd tell her in his own time._

_Seto swayed with her, back and forth, back and forth. He was fighting hard to keep himself from shaking. He knew what he wanted to do, but it was so scary. He didn't know how to without looking incredibly silly. But it was burning inside… Somehow, someway, he had to be honest. He had to tell her._

_Yes, he was scared of looking stupid. Yet he had to do it. He closed his eyes slowly, wondering who she thought she was, turning up at the time when his hormones were hardest to keep in line, making him think and feel all over again. Making him so scared. Making him love. Just how was it he had fallen in love? He just couldn't help it. She had changed him. Just who did she think she was?_

_He had a vocabulary better then anyone else's he knew, yet he still didn't know how to say it…_

_"Az…" He spluttered. Yes, he spluttered. Look what she'd reduced him to. _Come on now, Seto! It's just a few words! Get a hold of yourself!_ "I need to…"_

_"Yes?" She asked, looking up into his eyes. Oh, her eyes… Green and blue all mixed up, so happy and shiny, catching the lights of the room… "Hey, Seto...? Are you in there?"_

_"That is, I… I hope that…"_

_Her face clouded, and she stopped dancing, squeezing his hand. "Seto? Is everything okay?"_

_"Yes. No. That is, I hope it will be."_

_Oh, great. Now she was totally confused. Smooth, Seto. Real smooth._

_"Az… I want…" He tried, as he had been trying for weeks, to think of some truly nice way of putting it. But, as usual, his tongue was too impatient to wait for his brain to catch up, and just blurted it out, with no elegance or tact or any flowery language. _

_"Marry me." The words hung, stark, in the air._

_She let go of his hand, physically stepping back in shock._

_Seto's heart zoomed back up his throat. He'd spent so long trying to figure out how to ask her, he'd never really considered the implications. What if she said no? What if she didn't want to? She looked like she was about to cry. Stupid! Why had he had to ruin a perfectly good night? Why? He should have left well enough alone- she was happy as things were! Stupid, stupid, stupid…_

_"Az…" He began, uncertainly, stepping towards her. "Listen, I'm sorry. If you don't-" He was cut off as she came close again, pressing a finger to his lips._

_"Ssh." She whispered. "I was just so afraid…" She started laughing. "I was scared you would never ask."_

_"Then…?" Seto asked. His heart seemed to be taking up permanent lodging in his windpipe. He hardly dared hope. _

_ "…Yes." Azreal replied, smiling, nodding. "I'd love to. A lot. I'd love to."_

_"Really?" Seto said, a silly grin spreading, unhindered across his face. He just couldn't help it. "That's…That's…" On an impulse, he pulled her close, and spun her around and around, laughing for no good reason. Maybe he was mad. It certainly felt that way._

_But, if this was what being mad felt like, lock him in an asylum and throw away the key. Seto Kaiba is not what you would call 'happy-go-lucky'. But now, in that place, at that moment, for that small slip of time, he was way beyond happy. Elated. Ecstatic. The world was beautiful. And, one thing was for sure- it had been a long, long time since it had looked that way, and, hopefully, it would look that way for a long, long, time to come. _

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_"This is stupid. I'm more nervous about telling them then I was about telling my parents." She complained lightly, setting the oven to pre-heat. "Still…" She looked slyly at her partner, who was opening a packet of pasta. "It's worth it just to see you willingly sit down to eat a meal with everyone. In your house. At your invitation."_

_"Let's make one thing straight." Seto replied. "I'm not doing this for them."_

_"Oh really?" She smirked, nudging him a little as she began to grate some cheese. "Then who?"_

_"Hmm, well, I wonder…?"_

_The doorbell rang. Anna passed Seto the cheese and the grater, and wiped her hands off on the nearest cloth, which happened to be his shirt. "Don't overdo it." She instructed, and went to get the door. Standing outside it were her assorted friends, friends she'd known for years now, and she smiled before they all went and sat in one of the sitting rooms. Seto didn't come and say hello, as shy, or as antisocial, as ever. The others, however, were quickly absorbed into conversation. _

_Seto did not appear until Joey was half way through an amusing anecdote about the meeting he'd had the week before with 'Angels with Broken Wings' publisher to discuss the release of the fifth print volume. He was greeted with surprising warmth._

_"Hello, everyone." He answered back, and then turned to Anna. "The pasta is done. Would you care to come and help me?"_

_"Not really." She admitted, sticking her tongue out childishly. "I'm sure you can handle pasta. That said, if I let you cook, our diets may well be charcoal-enriched… but, never mind. I want to hear the end of the story."_

_"Excuse us." Seto said to the room at large, and calmly lifted her up and carried her out of the room in a fireman's lift; as she protested weakly through her giggles about him taking advantage of her height- or lack thereof._

_Their friends looked out after them as the noise disappeared, blinking slightly. Then Yugi laughed while the others shook their heads in exasperation._

_"Aww." Téa stated._

_"Isn't it funny?" Joey asked, casually. "When we were kids, Kaiba acted like a middle-aged man, and now we're adults he's acting like a kid."_

_"It makes a nice change." Tristan observed. "How long do you reckon till he asks her?"_

_"I'll bet he does it within the next year." Yugi stated. _

_"He'll never do it." Joey stated. "I reckon she'll end up asking _him_!" _

_This raised some laughs, but wasn't really seen as a serious course of action. Anna was almost as useless as Kaiba himself._

_"I think he'll ask her soon." Tristan shrugged. "He's too stubborn not to…"_

_T__éa and Mai merely exchanged looks, but did not say anything. Call it women's intuition, perhaps, but they had a pretty good idea of why they were all there that night._

_Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Seto and Anna had descended into silence besides her quiet, tuneless humming and the clink of cutlery as they dished up. She picked up a plate to take it out to the dining room, but suddenly, he grabbed her hand._

_"Don't ever leave me." He said, simply, almost fearfully._

_Anna was taken aback. He was not acting like himself at all. She didn't know what to say, so she simply put the plate down and held him close as she dared, as tightly as she dared. She held him there for a while, and he held her back, and then they went out and ate with friends. He seemed quite cheerful, perhaps the chatter got to him, or the story about the publicist. Unfortunately, eventually, the two had to come clean. Anna, naturally, was in her element._

"_As you may have guessed, we had an ulterior motive in asking you all here." She stalled. " Um, not that we wouldn't anyway, it's just that we have something special to say. This time. That is..."_

"_We're getting married." Seto as usual did not mince his words as he got fed up of all this beating about the bush. He looked around at the silent table, daring them to disapprove._

_Then people smiled. And, most surprisingly, Joey spoke first._

"_Well, it's about time the two of you got hitched!"_

"_They're only twenty-one, Joey." Téa pointed out mildly. "Any earlier would have been silly, really."_

"_What does it matter when they're gonna be together for all time anyway?" He answered back. Anna wanted to hug him._

_But she didn't want to make Seto jealous. _

_Everyone turned out to be extremely supportive and excited. Then, someone questioned them on their wedding plans, and with the question came the sudden realisation they didn't actually have any as of yet. But that didn't matter. Not at that point. Not just then._

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_Anna frowned in confusion out of the kitchen window, blinking and swallowing her water, hoping that it was just the too-bright light and her aching head that was tricking her addled mind. A second later, Seto staggered in; and for the first time the couple did not wish each other a good morning. Talking hurt their heads too much. Seto took much the same route as she did, rubbing his eyes against the light that pained them and heading for the aspirin._

_"Let's _never _do that again…" He muttered, blearily, and Anna nodded, still not turning from the window. The two had been celebrating their first anniversary together last night, and things had got a little out of hand. Seto was simply glad that at least, on this one occasion where they had drunk a little too much, it was within the privacy of their own walls. _

_"Yes, but… can you remember what we did?"_

_"I don't even want to think." Seto winced back, in rather a foul mood._

_"Seto…I think we brought a horse."_

_"No, that would be the alcohol, Az."_

_"In that case, the alcohol is standing in the back garden." She replied, wryly, and moved aside as Seto braved looking out of the window and stared at the horse currently enjoying one of Az's rosebushes. He glared at it, but it didn't seem to notice._

_"Who the _heck _would sell us a horse if we were that far gone?!" He demanded._

_"Maybe we stole it." Anna suggested, sounding half nervous and half amused._

_"This isn't good."_

_"No." She agreed, but couldn't take it anymore, and suddenly dissolved into laughter, however much it hurt her sore head. Seto shook his head in exasperation and began writing something on a notepad left on the kitchen counter. Anna wrapped an arm around his waist as she leant in to see an advert emerging in his scrawl, too used to typing, advertising a horse to be given free to a good home. She chuckled again and said:_

_"I bet you need a coffee."_

_"Like you would not believe."_

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_"Seto…" Mokuba suggested, tentatively, "Why not just go home?"_

_Seto looked a little startled by the idea, because he'd been carrying on as normal. He certainly hadn't been showing his concern. Mokuba seemed to sense his unspoken question and smirked a little._

_"You've shouted at five people today. You haven't managed more than three since you got married." His face softened slightly. "I'm sure she's fine, but if you want to go, I can handle things for the rest of the afternoon."_

_"Can your team spare you?" Seto asked, reluctantly. Nowadays, Seto handled most of the management and Mokuba most of the R&D for new and existing products. It was an arrangement that worked and suited them both. Still, whenever Seto needed help- and often when he didn't- Mokuba was there. So here he was, trying to convince him to go home, because he knew Az had gone to the doctors that morning. Knew Seto was worried._

_Eventually, Seto left, and Mokuba picked up a couple of documents with an exasperated sigh. His big brother seemed to be the most oblivious person ever. Mokuba had a suspicion of what could be wrong with Anna, and he suspected she did too, and practically everyone else did. Only Seto remained totally ignorant._

_He was, at that moment, making his way through the front door of his house. He was hoping Az would be waiting to tell him it was nothing more than a stomach bug that would be gone in a few weeks. It was unlike him to worry, but, for some reason, when it came to her… he couldn't help it._

_"Seto!" She said in surprise when he walked into the living room to find her lying on the settee, staring absently at the ceiling. It was odd. Even now, at the age of twenty-four, she couldn't ever seem to sit still. She sat up now and smiled shakily at him. "I wasn't expecting you to be home so early… I'll go put the kettle on…"_

_She stood and went to move past him. He caught her arm._

_"Hold on, Az… You seem nervous. What did the doctor say?"_

_"…Tea?" She protested, weakly._

_"Answer." He said, firmly._

_"You'll probably need something stronger then tea anyway…" She muttered, looking away. Seto was worried now. _

_"What?" He demanded. "What is it?" He took hold of her shoulders. "Az, what did she say? What's wrong with you?!"_

_His wife suddenly started laughing. "Seeing you panic… is hilarious…" She spluttered, and suddenly moved closer, wrapping her arms around his back and resting her head on his chest, their height difference as evident as ever. Her voice was somewhat muffled. "And… nothing's _wrong_… It's all perfectly normal… and natural… the normal progression of things… some would say it's the meaning of life and all, so it's not _wrong, _per say. Nope, totally to be expected…"_

_"Az…" He said, more bewildered than worried now. "What are you driving at?"_

_She was laughing again, shaky, nervous laughs. "Well, sometimes, when a man and a woman love each other very, very much…"_

_"Az?"_

_She looked up into his face and rolled her eyes, before burying her face back in his shirt and saying, very quietly, "I'm pregnant, you fool."_

_Seto blinked stupidly._

_"You're the daddy." She added, helpfully, when he didn't say anything._

_"I should hope so! I think." Seto answered, still somewhat taken aback. "…Oh."_

_"Oh." Anna agreed, and the two moved to sit together in silence._

_"What do you think?" She asked, eventually._

_"I… I don't know." Seto admitted, shaking his head. _

_"Me either." She revealed, a little sheepishly, absently rubbing her stomach. "We're going to be parents. Isn't that weird?"_

_Seto snorted. "I don't know how to be a father…" Then, after another period of silence, he spoke again. "I'll work something out. I'm not… I can't… Look. I'm not promising I'll be one of those freaks who goes round with pictures in his wallet, and I'll probably not make it to the kid's class assemblies or competitions or ceremonies, and the kid will probably hate me."_

_"Seto-"_

_He continued without letting her interrupt. "But, I know what it's like not to have a dad… or to have a 'father' who treats you like scum. And I won't be like _him_. That's all I'm promising, Az, just that."_

_She moved over and wrapped her arms around his neck. "That's alright, when that's all you've got." She kissed him briefly then suddenly pulled away with a scared smile. "Besides, I don't know how to be a mom either. I'll probably drop the kid on it's head."_

_"I'm dreading when it starts crawling. I'll probably manage to tread on it at least once a day…"_

_"Oh, goodness. I'll leave those fantasy doors open and it'll crawl off the balcony and that'll be that."_

_"Or you'll leave me in charge and I'll forget to feed it-"_

_"Or burp it and we'll have exploded baby everywhere."_

_"That's a point. I'm bound to leave all my electrics stuff out at some point, and the kid will probably be zapped. Fried baby."_

_"Or pick it up and eat it… choked."_

_"Poisoned."_

_They were laughing uncontrollably by this point._

_"I always leave my saxophone out… if that falls on the poor thing…"_

_"It's not just the physical things. I mean, that kid will be picked on shamelessly if it tried to convince school friends you're a muse…"_

_"And I can _hardly _imagine you comforting a child if they'd had a bad dream."_

_"What about take your kids to work day? 'Just sit here a minute while daddy gives a waster a total rollicking."_

_"Or 'Stay here while mommy attempts to get the little brat to play a flat instead of a sharp."_

_"That's not half as bad as if we tried to tell it about our pasts."_

_"Oh, crap. 'Well, one set of your grandparents are dead, your step-granddad was an evil psychopath and your other grandmother lives on a floating city'."_

_The laughter had faded now, replaced by a silently tense atmosphere._

_"I reckon this kid will be in therapy by three." Seto predicted, drably._

_"We're going to be terrible parents…" Az mourned. Then she looked up at him. "Guess we'll just have to try, though."_

_"Yes." Seto agreed, and kissed her. When they parted, she seemed pensive. "What is it?" He asked._

_An evil smirk began spreading across her face. "Can we tell Mokuba it's triplets?" _

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_Mokuba eventually reached the conclusion that it was a good thing for Ann that he had gone to the house and a bad thing for him. It was an important, and tiring day for Kaiba Corp that day. They were trying to finalise a deal to buy up a large Russian electrics company but it had taken a lot of negotiation. Seto was with them now, thrashing out the final contract with them over dinner. Mokuba, meanwhile, was writing it up back at the office. Seto had already predicted what their conditions would be. However, he'd forgotten to give Mokuba the specification before leaving for the meal, and so Mokuba was here, looking for it at his house. The doorman had let him in immediately, although Mokuba did stop for a chat. After all, he'd grown up around the fellow. He'd shouted hello to Ann when he had entered, but she must have been so far in the back of the large house she hadn't heard. He decided to check Seto's office while he was passing the door and find her afterward._

_He was getting increasingly frustrated. He couldn't find the necessary documents anywhere at all. He knew his brother's filing system, erratic as it was, by now; but he couldn't locate the appropriate papers. He was suddenly startled as Anna entered the room. _

_"You scared me." He smiled, resuming his search. "I was just looking for those papers for the Russian deal. Have you seen them?"_

_"I think Seto took them with him. Do you know if he took his phone?"_

_"No." Mokuba frowned, looking up and suddenly noticing how white her face was. "What's wrong?"_

_"I…" She suddenly groaned, a noise he'd never heard her make before. She took a deep breath and finished. "I think I'd better go to the hospital."_

_Mokuba looked at her in horror. "…The baby's coming?"_

_"Yes."_

_"…Now?!"_

_"Yes!"_

_"What? Are you sure?!"_

_Anna suddenly lost patience with him, obviously quite frightened too. "Yes, I'm sure! Mokuba, stop pratting about and take me to the hospital!"_

_"Right, right." Mokuba said, running a hand through his hair and trying to calm down a little. Then a thought struck him. "I don't have my car! I came by motorbike!"_

_"What?! What the hell were you thinking?!"_

_"Well, I didn't know that you were going to start giving birth!"_

_"Use one of our cars…" She said, shaking her head. _

_"But Seto has all the keys…" _

_"Just use the bike!" She begged. "Plane, train, milk float, horse and cart- I don't give one, just get me to the flipping hospital!" She suddenly broke off and groaned again. "Ahh… oh, oh great… oh, goodness… Mokuba…"_

_"Okay." He said, swallowing down his own panic in an attempt to calm her. "It's alright, Ann. Calm down. We'll go to the hospital now. Just calm down."_

_"You try calming down when you're about to give birth!"_

_"Ann, come on, you know what I mean. There's no use in panicking. It's going to be fine." He took hold of her arm and began steering her towards the front door. "We'll get to the hospital in time, don't worry… don't worry…" From the coat rack by the door he grabbed her helmet. Before she had got pregnant, she had enjoyed riding the bikes too, and Mokuba snatched the relic gratefully. A few moments that felt like an eternity later, they were off._

_As he drove, trying to balance care and speed appropriately, Mokuba wondered how exactly his life had come down to driving his pregnant sister-in-law to hospital on the back of a bike. He decided to blame Seto._

_They reached the hospital, and, thankfully, there were people to take over trying to keep Ann calm and get her sorted out. It would still be some time before the baby would arrive, they said, because the contractions were reasonably far apart. But it seemed to Mokuba that they were getting closer and closer together. He remained by her side and attempted, for the third time, to ring Seto._

_"He'd better answer…" Ann was growling, for some reason not in too good a mood. "He'd better answer…"_

_Mokuba felt much the same way, but Seto did not answer. His phone was on silent, so as not to interrupt this major meeting._

_"Pick up…!" Mokuba hissed at it, but it didn't work. He was about to try again when the staff decided Ann had better be moved to one of the delivery rooms._

_"Oh, goodness…" She muttered, sounding frightened, grabbing Mokuba's hand, all accompanied with the awful panting and groaning. As they were headed through the doors, Mokuba pulled out of her hand._

_"I'll just go and try Seto again then." He said, sheepishly, turning away. He felt her pull his hair, yanking him back._

_"Don't you dare!" She screamed. "Mokuba… don't leave me… on my own!"_

_"Ow, ow! Okay! Okay!" He replied, and she thankfully released his hair to grab at his hand again._

_"Oh goodness…" She panted, still trying to cope with contractions and all the people telling her to breathe. "Oh goodness…"_

_Mokuba, with his spare hand, was still trying to call Seto. And, at last, in the restaurant, Seto grew annoyed with the constant vibrations in his pocket, and pulled out the phone._

_"Excuse me." He said to his guests, and answered it. "What? Mokuba? We were just about to sign the contract! I thought I said not to interrupt-"_

_"There are more important things Seto!" Mokuba said, sounding bizarrely shrill. "Like you getting to the hospital _right now_!"_

_"What…?"_

_More sounds down the phone. Panting and groaning and someone saying "Alright, Mrs Kaiba, I think this is it…It's ready now… and push!" Seto could feel the blood draining from his face._

_Oh, crap._

_He stood abruptly. "I'm very sorry gentlemen, I must leave- I've just been informed my wife is giving birth."_

_They looked at him a little blankly. They spoke Japanese very fluently as far as it was needed for business, but 'giving birth' was not within their vocabulary. Unsure what else to do, they followed him as he darted out, piled into his car and were somewhat surprised when they ended up at the hospital._

_Seto, meanwhile, was thanking his lucky stars the restaurant was not terribly far from the hospital, and his driver had been as fast as he legally could- it had taken less than two minutes. Still, Seto ran from the car and up the steps to the hospital, and through the foyer and up to the desk; not caring about his dignity. He paused only to find out where she was and ran down there as well. Moments later, he was clinging onto his wife's hand. She didn't seem terribly glad to see him._

_"Seto, you git…!"_

"_Push!"_

"_I swear, I am going to shove that-"_

"_Push!"_

"_Phone right-"_

"_Now's not the time, Az." He tried, receiving grateful looks off the midwives as the woman went back to concentrating on breathing and pushing. At this point, and quite gratefully, Mokuba managed to slip away. He leant in relief for a moment on the doors to the delivery room, sighing and flexing the cramp out of his fingers. He was glad Seto had made it._

_Then he turned, and saw several very bewildered looking Russian businessmen in dinner suits, clutching and unsigned contract. Mokuba stared at them for a moment as they blinked back, wondering why on Earth Seto had brought them along. Then he smiled tiredly._

"_Right then." He said, clapping his hands. "Shall we get this contract signed up?"_

_And so, while Seto and Anna were very much busy having problems of their own, Mokuba managed to get everything sorted and send the businessmen on their way. He'd done many odd deals in his time at Kaiba Corp, but none so odd as that one in the middle of a hospital. He waited for some time longer, but, at last, Seto emerged from the room; looking a little worse for wear, but smiling shyly as though his face wasn't quite sure what expression to wear._

"_Well?" Mokuba demanded tiredly when he did not speak._

"_We weren't expecting you to wait." Seto evaded, looking at his watch. "It's almost one in the morning."_

_Mokuba glared at him, and his smile spread just a little._

"_Az is fine. And so is… It's a girl, Mokuba."_

_Mokuba grinned at him. "Congratulations." He said, going to hug his brother. He hadn't done so in years but it seemed appropriate now. "You're a daddy, Seto. Are you happy?"_

_He didn't seem to hear. "She's beautiful." He muttered, more to himself. Mokuba never did work out if that was referring to the baby or to Ann. However, that didn't seem to matter. A few minutes later, he went into the room, and met his little niece for the first time. _

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_At length, Anna put her mug down, empty, and said "Well, we'd better get her up."_

_"She's alright, isn't she?" Seto answered, finishing the last of his own tea._

_"Seto, it's our daughter's first Christmas and I'm not going to let her sleep through it!"_

_"She seems fairly oblivious."_

_His wife gave no verbal reply but merely swatted Seto's arm as she made her way past him and upstairs. A little while later, she returned with their daughter in her arms, just a few months old, and handed her over to Seto._

_"Hello." Seto said, obligingly. He still hadn't got the hang of talking to the baby that currently seemed to have a fascination with one of his shirt buttons. "Happy Christmas, Maya."_

_She burbled a little in reply, and was interrupted by the bell ringing. Seto looked over to his wife, who currently had her hands full making up a bottle, and carefully sat Maya down on the floor before heading out to answer it himself._

_"Good morning." He said, even smiling a little. Mokuba rolled his eyes._

_"It's 'Merry Christmas', Seto." He teased. "Or will I be buried with a stake of holly through my heart if I act like a fool who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on my lips?"_

_"If you're going to parody literature," Seto responded, standing aside to let him in. "Don't misquote it. And yes, Merry Christmas."_

_Mokuba grinned at him as he removed his icy boots. This was hardly a white Christmas, more a grey one, but the frost was heavy on the ground and there was a promise of snow soon. Then again, the winter had been full of false promises and unseasonably warm that year. Seto, meanwhile, was still shocked at how old Mokuba looked. He had only turned twenty-one back in July, but he seemed to have aged so much ever since he'd moved out. Seto had always regretted letting him move out so young, not too long after he and Az had got married, but it still seemed odd._

_"I got presents!" Mokuba added, and it seemed that at least underneath it all he was his usual enthusiastic self. He did not wait for an invitation to go through to the kitchen, and scooped his niece up from the floor. It always amused her parents how much Mokuba loved his little niece. _

_"Well, hello there, my little lady." He said, as she made noises of delight. "Merry Christmas!" He turned to her smiling mother. "And merry Christmas to you, the not-so-little lady."_

_"Hey, Mokuba." She said, warmly, and he placed Maya back down before giving her a lose hug. "Happy Christmas."_

_"I got Seto mistletoe-on-a-stick for his present," Mokuba whispered back. "Make sure he uses it."_

_Anna laughed and pushed him away, picking up her daughter and giving her a bottle. She'd be coming off them fairly soon now, but they were just using up the last of the powder. "Help yourself if you want breakfast, Mokuba."_

_"I already ate, thanks." Mokuba replied, and then Seto re-entered the room. "Ah, Mr Scrooge!"_

_"Stop that."_

_The day passed quite happily. The adults enjoyed one another's company, and Maya seemed to enjoy both her presents and all the packaging. She seemed to take particularly to the shiny ribbons Mokuba had wrapped their presents in, and the game that was quickly devised by Anna of waving them in front of her and letting her try to grab them._

_It was so cute._

_Yet, all that was done now, and the day was just reaching that lazy stage of about four in the afternoon when everyone's just trying to relax. Mokuba sat slouched in one of the armchairs, looking at the enchanting Christmas tree. Anna was on the other side of the room, stretched lazily out over a two-seater settee and scanning through a book her well-meaning sister, Ruby, had sent her about the somewhat short known history of Wherever. At one point, she chuckled a little, and read:_

_"This book would be ending here were it not for two of Wherever's best known heroes who saved the city when it was all-but consumed by Nothing. One was Azreal Kiyoko, who could withstand the Nothing because of her half-human genetics. By her actions in Wherever, she more then made up for this background. Her companion was the first human ever to set foot on Wherever, one Seto Kaiba, who those familiar with Earth will probably have heard of. Tragically, although the city was saved, Kiyoko lost her musing powers and has now been forced to spend the rest of her days on Earth. Always one to make the best of things, she married Kaiba and endures her exile with a smile. In this chapter we shall learn more about the near-consumption of Wherever and the lead-up that allowed our heroes to play this role." She snorted. "What a load of twaddle."_

_"I can't wait to hear what else they say about us in there." Seto added, sarcastically. He, with his longer legs, was lying on the three-seater sofa, talking idly to his brother. Somewhere along the line, he'd ended up with Maya perched on his stomach, playing with his shirt buttons _again _and chirruping happily to herself. "I'll bet they omit certain parts. Like how they used to hate you."_

_"No, they'll include it, just in the 'Isn't it shocking? Glad _I _certainly wasn't a part of it.'" Anna continued in a twee, upper-class tone. "'I must say it's wonderful that the Kiyoko girl managed so well. With those three wonderful sisters of hers, it's a wonder she didn't resent them doing so much better; and what with her- well, you know- it's really quite amazing. But imagine! Living on Earth! How ghastly!'"_

_Seto laughed wryly and Mokuba shook his head._

_"One day they'll get that you did it by choice…"_

_Anna snorted derisively and put the same voice back again. "'Well, I always said the girl was odd… It's madness, you know, that's why blood shouldn't be mixed!'"_

_"I'm sure your mom will get it sorted…"_

_"Oh, yeah. One day… it'll take a while for muses to forget their prejudices against humankind, though, and who knows if humans will accept them…"_

_Maya suddenly made a noise approximate to 'Weeeh-woooh!' and laughed happily, as if reminding them not to talk of depressing things at Christmas. She then proceeded to decorate Seto's hair with the ribbon she'd refused to let go of all day. "Weeeh-woooh!" She repeated, as if the sound was as delightful a toy as the ribbon itself._

_"Same to you." Seto replied, as Anna and Mokuba laughed._

_"Look," Mokuba said suddenly. "It's snowing."_

_"About time." Anna commented. "Whoever heard of the first snowfall of winter coming in December?" Then she swung her legs off the settee she was on, and removed Maya from her father. Seto followed them over to the window. "Look, Maya…" Az smiled. "Snow."_

_The little girl stared, enchanted, and they all stood there and watched the snow fall._

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

At length, Maya finished reading, and silently folded the paper back up and shoved it back into the envelope. She looked thoughtfully at the black feather for a moment, twirling it in her fingers, and then she laughed somewhat bitterly.

Michael and Tomasu, now up to their chests in water; and Yami, who, even sitting on the rock was submerged almost to her knees, couldn't quite see what was funny. Maya had spent a long time reading that long letter, for all the good it would do them now.

"You alright?" Michael asked. He hadn't exactly demanded to know exactly what was in the letter, and she didn't exactly tell him. She merely stared up at the hole in the ceiling and asked a question of her own.

"Do you reckon if I had wings I could fly out of there?"

"What?"

Maya looked him right in the eye and said, with a sardonic smirk "My mother tells me she is a muse. Or half-of-one."

"A muse?" Michael was growing more bewildered by the second, or perhaps the cold sea water was numbing his brain. "What the heck does that mean?"

"I don't have a clue." Maya admitted, suddenly dragging her feet up and balancing precariously on the ledge. "But if she was a half that makes me a quarter. And, right now, the only thing I care about is that she supposedly had wings."

"Maya…" Yami began putting in tentatively. Only Tomasu didn't seem to have any input, and he looked away.

"So come on!" Maya was screaming at nobody in particular. "If she was telling the truth, let's see these wings of hers! Let's see them!"

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_The new day dawned, bright and blue. Just like it always did. The world just kept going, and, mechanically, Seto did too. He just wanted to stay where he was and never move, but life didn't work that way and moving was too much of a force of habit. So he got up, out of the side of the bed he had always slept on. And he went and made some coffee, and poured two cups._

_He looked at it a little stupidly. Too many cups. That made every morning this week there had been too many cups._

_"Good morning." Mokuba's voice came, the tone careful. Seto knew he was hurting too, but trying to stay strong. Seto should be doing the same, but it was like everything she had melted inside him had frozen up again into ice like the artic. Anaesthetic for the soul. It didn't hurt. It didn't feel of anything._

_Seven days of too many cups. Seven days till he had woken to find her gone, and in all those seven days, he had not shed a tear. His eyes and his heart had simply forgotten how. His heart was dead. His eyes were dead. He was as dead as she was and yet stuck here, still alive. _

_"Morning, daddy." He felt small arms wrap around him, Maya giving him a special hug. He held her back and attempted to smile. _

_"Hello, Maya. Mokuba." _

_"Maya's going to come out with me again today. Okay, Maya?" Mokuba asked. The girl, only two years and a few weeks old, nodded eagerly. _

_"Fish! We're going to see the fish! Daddy should come. It might make you feel better."_

_"Not today, Maya."_

_She held him tighter. "I miss mommy too." She hiccupped. "And… I want her to come back… but you said she wouldn't ever come back and that she wouldn't want me to be sad and I don't think she'd want daddy to be sad either!"_

_"…You're very smart." That was all Seto could bring himself to say, as Mokuba quietly went about making breakfast for the three of them. Seto probably wouldn't eat it. It amazed him sometimes that he and Az had produced such a thing as this little girl. She really was smart for her age, talking so much and with such relatively complicated sentences. Most two year olds communicated more with sounds than words, but Maya was the other way around. It was incredible. And she was currently crying on him, loud, childish cries._

_"I want her to come home… I want her to come back… I want her back! I don't want her to go! I want her back! I want-"_

_"Stop it!" Seto shouted. "Maya, be _quiet_!" She backed away from him and ran over to Mokuba. Seto stood in shock. This was the first time he had ever raised his voice to her. Then he detected dampness on his cheeks and realised that suddenly, and quite naturally, he was crying, the ice melting and dripping away and leaving him totally empty. With nothing. Totally empty. "She can't come back, Maya." He said, more gently. "I'm sure she would have wanted too. But she can't. So… please… don't do that."_

_She was staring at him, eyes wide in horror. Mokuba seemed uncomfortable too._

_"Seto…"_

_Seto left the room. Now that the tears had begun, they would not stop. He was totally powerless, swept away by them. Voices came from the doorway._

_"Did I make daddy cry?"_

_"No, Maya, of course not. He's just missing your mommy."_

_"Do you miss her?"_

_"Yes."  
"So do I. So… if daddy misses her… and I miss her… and you miss her… and she loves us… Maybe she'll come home?"_

_"She can't, Maya. She can't."_

_Seto rubbed his face, but it made no difference. The tears kept falling and falling and running down his face and they would not stop. _

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"So come on!" Maya was screaming at nobody in particular. "If she was telling the truth, let's see these wings of hers! Let's see them!"

And they did.

They burst messily out of her back, in jolts, ghostly images solidifying and then slipping out of view again, bedraggled feathers forming and falling off, and Maya was screaming and yelling, perhaps not in pain but in some animal rush of adrenaline, and the others were yelling too in fright, but she grabbed hold of each of them almost violently. Yami's wrist was in one of her hands and Tomasu's in her other and Michael found himself clinging onto her shoulders somewhere between those horrid wings that beat and strained and flapped.

And they flew.

Slowly, at first, they rose up out of the water, but then suddenly, she seemed to be out of control and she was shooting like a bullet, dangerously fast, not hearing her friend's cries to slow down. She was simply bombing towards that circular disk showing the last of daylight and the six odd, pale, hands that were reaching down into it, reaching down for them.

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A/N: There it is… So. As I was saying _all _the way back at the start, it would be nice to resume more-or-less monthly updates. I'm not promising any more than that even though it's the summer because I want to work on some original stuff. Namely, **On the Liberation of Materials One does not Possess, an Anthology of Thievery in Ten Tales of Treachery. **XD You may guess, it's about thieves; and there may well be one or two familiar names in there… Although, at the moment, only the first draft of the first tale is done, so it's very rough around the edges. I've decided, though, to try and write all ten tales first and then go back to fine tune them all. If you'd like to read I can always E-mail it to you… Ha. To be honest, I just want as much feedback as possible!

Buuuuuuuuut, back to the fic. The other reason I'm not promising more than monthly is because for pretty much all of August I will not be at home. From the 5th-15th I'm, for some reason, doing a ten day trip to help run children's clubs and do practical service in Romania. Then I'm off again, just to Yorkshire, from the 18th to the 25th. I'm very excited, but there is a heck of a lot to sort out and I WILL get an August chapter done somewhere within all that lot!

But, enough of all this chuntering. Thanks again for your patience, and, to conclude, I think it's high time I got to write some rhetorical questions again. So, to whom do the six hands belong? On crashing in the woods, will they all make it back to the castle safely? What will they all make of Maya having muse blood, when she can hardly believe it herself? Between whom come the three kisses, and will Tomasu ever get to return to _The Water Charmer? _Let's wait till next time in **Fall or Fly Chapter Six- See… **


	7. See

A/N: …Well, I was determined to make a September update! _(Sweatdrop) _Heh heh… As promised, August was mad. I went to Romania for a ten day mission, and on holiday, and all sorts of things. Then I started college! (Here in England, you leave school at sixteen and go onto a sixth form college, and then a university at eighteen.) College is the awesome! All my lessons are brilliant, except Critical Thinking… but I can write in Critical Thinking, so is all good. Ah well, life goes on. I'll admit that I'm finding this fic a real struggle to write (Ouran one-shots are so much easier!!) but I'm DETERMINED to update this monthly. (**AfI** was thrice weekly, **IMM **was weekly, and **WyG **bi-weekly… I'm getting worse…) Hopefully, it'll be all done by Christmas, in time to start **SHSII! **Whoo! Then, after that, I doubt I'll be producing anymore YGO fiction… but let's just get on with the chapter, shall we?

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh, even now, after all these years. What a bombshell. XD

Six: See

_The next morning, Seto was glaring at a door. Or to be precise the door. Azreal had disappeared, but in order to tell weather she'd done another runner, he'd first have to check the entire mansion systematically. Which meant this one came now. He certainly wasn't going to come back to it. Gritting his teeth, he opened the door and stepped through._

_The first thing that struck him was the cold. And it was no wonder, he saw, as the stain glass doors had been flung wide open and had presumably been all night. He shut them, glaring at a set of doors for the second time that morning. He had never liked those doors… He didn't think his step-father had, or Mokuba did either. They were just creepy. Like they were always… watching. And yet every time he went with the intention to take them down, he remembered something that needed doing right away. Every single time. So, the room had been left to rot alone. Until now, it seemed._

_Azreal was lying on the sofa, sleeping. If it could be described as that. It seemed more of a tossing, turning and writhing activity then sleeping. Even half way across the room, Seto could see the sweat breaking out on her face and body._

_And it worried him._

_Sighing, he went to fetch a blanket and returned to cover her quivering form. She looked so small and fragile, curled up around herself like that…_

_And she had claimed not to be sick._

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Trees ripped past below them, merging into one seamless green mess. The sky turned over, blue and white, the sea or the sky. Surging green and brown, as Maya flew out of control. Yami and Tomasu dangled hopelessly from her arms, and Michael clung to her back between those horrid wings that beat furiously, out of time, next to him; his feet dangling at a level with hers. At that moment, he had few thoughts beyond his terror, but those he did have were not busy worrying about why Maya suddenly had wings or how he'd almost rather be back in the cave and drowning, but with Maya herself. She was clearly out of control, manic, mad.

"Maya!" He yelled, over the incredible wind that had formed around them. "Maya!" He was clinging on around her neck, and spoke into her ear. "Maya, please, calm down! Please! Maya!"

Still she flew, feathers falling from her wings and swirling away, not listening to reason, perhaps not able to hear, trapped a long way away in some far corner of her mind; while the electric in her brain was shocked and jumped and made connections it hadn't before. The opening up of a new quarter of her blood and genes came as quite a shock to body and soul, and it was overloaded, out of control, unstoppable; combined with the emotional turmoil of the letter from her mother, with years of lies, the joy of knowledge and the betrayal of it, the fact it had finally been given.

And then it stopped. They began to fall like stones, and they sped towards the ground, skimming along not fifty centimetres above it's surface; before, finally, the wings fizzled out and with a last flurry of feathers, disappeared. Maya lay crumpled on the floor as the others tentatively pulled themselves into sitting positions, examining new bruises, blinking in shock. No-one spoke. What was there to say? What they had seen was… wrong. Unbelievable. Gradually, they turned to look at the creature, the girl, that lay in their midst. That had somehow saved their lives.

She hadn't moved.

"Maya…?" Yami said, tentatively, daring to go a little closer. "Maya…? What happened?"

There was no response.

"Maya, please." Yami said, quietly; and with a display of the strength of character her parents had been so proud of, admitted. "Please, we're scared."

She suddenly groaned and rolled over, causing Yami to start backwards, and was violently sick. The vomiting subsided quickly, but still Maya did not return properly, sweating and shaking and shivering slightly, looking to one side with unfocused eyes.

Yami swallowed, the only sign of how unnerved she was. "We need to get help for her." She said, looking around them. "We're in the deep forest somewhere, it can't be that hard to find the castle again. I'm going to find a teacher. Light a fire, it'll be dark soon, and we'll need to be able to find you." She ran off.

"Yami-!" The two boys began to protest together, but she had already disappeared, and they were interrupted by a quiet voice. Maya. Michael, dreading what he would see and hear, edged closer.

"Maya…?"

But she wasn't talking to them.

"Who…?" Maya began, blearily. Everything was tired and aching, it felt like her limbs were very far away from one another and all in the wrong place, and the three almost identical women kneeling to her side, smiling at her, who had followed them all this way only served to increase her confusion.

"Oh, now she can see us." One remarked with an eye roll, her blond hair streaked with grey. "It's only taken sixteen years."

"Stop your grousing, can't you?" Another said, with surprising tolerance. Her hair, between masses of grey, had the last vestiges of red; and the third woman's hair appeared to be green. Maya might have been more confused at this, but then, they all seemed to have wings, and that felt the more pressing issue. Particularly as she thought she recalled flying herself, only moments before.

"Who…?" She began again, but her words seemed to be caught up in her fever, and sentences were a struggle. "Who are you…?"

"Ssh," the green-haired one said, gently, placing a hand on her forehead. "You're burning up… it's been too much. So just lie still and quiet and we'll explain everything."

Maya stayed quiet, but not because of the request to. The hand on her face felt peculiar, warm and cold all at once, but there was something else. Something familiar, and yet different, in that touch. And though the world was in confusion, for that moment in time, Maya's memory had absolute clarity, and she had no doubt where she had felt that touch before. The hand was, not quite, but almost, her mother's. But time changed hands, didn't it?

"Mom…?"

It made no sense. Nothing made sense, except that touch.

"No. Not your mom, her sisters. Your aunts, Maya, your family."

"My…family?"

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Ever since the day of their birth, the Kiyoko triplets had been special. It was hardly surprising, considering their father was an up-and-coming power in politics and their mother the best muse seen for a long time. Still, whoever their birth parents were, the three girls were truly the daughters of Wherever. The marriage hadn't worked out between the young parents, and the politician was discredited, but Millierie came out of it alright. To begin with, anyway. When she disappeared for years, and the girls grew up with their grandparents, no-one thought anything of it except that she must have been on another mission. There was no small amount of surprise when their mother returned with a hybrid daughter in tow, but it couldn't be helped. She was young, and had been undoubtedly missing her first husband; and once she was promoted to the head of the Musing corporation no-one doubted her. They just ignored her fourth child as much as they could, hearing about any misdeed of the mixed-blood through the papers.

The triplets, however, were a joy to read about. Constantly top of their classes, each presenting high skill levels in everything they tried and excelling each in a field of their own, great things were expected of Ruby, Emerald and Opal. They quickly proved this right, becoming the youngest muses ever at the age of twelve. Their younger sister didn't get it till she was thirteen. All of the cities celebrated on their graduation day, reminding one another that triplets were extremely rare- these were the first set in a hundred years or so- and that they were destined to bring luck and be lucky themselves. In the eyes of the people, they could do no wrong; and so it continued as their whirl-wind careers began.

Each of the girls could be counted on to contribute in their own ways, beyond simply inspiring their charges. Over their lives, each of them inspired countless humans, but it was more then that. Opal, for instance, had the highest tested IQ seen for a long time; and she came up with dramatic, effective new methods for musing as quickly as if she had read them elsewhere. Emerald did not share her sister's love for books, but she seemed have endless supplies for every living creature. She reminded them of compassion, campaigned for civil rights for groups less fortunate, created beautiful gardens in a place that had no soil, and showed them the nature in the world they had left behind. Then there was Ruby, the most effective muse in written records, the one who seemed able to do anything, able to speak and decide and lead. There was no doubting that she would take over from her mother, and indeed, had worked as second-in-command most of her adult life, in preparation.

These girls had always been their princesses, so imagine their delight when Ruby was seventeen and it was revealed she was dating one Lira Klio, one that was very successful and giving Ruby a run for her money. The fourth Kiyoko girl kept accusing him of illegal activity, but no-one believed her. Not until that messy affair involving Azreal's exile, that Seto Kaiba, and the inspiration of a webcomic author. Ruby had been devastated, and the people with her, at this betrayal; yet she picked herself up and carried on, and it seemed nothing more would go wrong. Klio, they said, died much later on Earth; but nobody really cared.

Of course, this was far from the end of the triplet's story. For one thing, they played a vital role in the saving of Wherever, of course; though admittedly that was more down to Azreal. Clearly, she had inherited her family's greatness and her human genes weren't detrimental at all. Actually, no-one could quite recall why they hadn't liked her to begin with; and many more would claim they had to begin with. But what did it really matter? Azreal had refused to live in Wherever, had gone to Earth with Kaiba and married him, lived as a human because she had lost her muse style. However, she had been remembered as a hero, and her rare visits to Wherever had always been greeted with delight. She'd had a daughter and died a few short years afterward, apparently. Her husband had allowed her to be given a proper muse funeral, being fed to the nothing, because he had known how much she had been afraid of being buried below the ground. Muses were of air and water; they were not be buried in the earth or burnt in the fire. Obviously, that was the last anyone ever heard of Azreal or her family.

The triplets had disappeared from the spotlight, more or less, too. They had continued with their work, although Ruby and Millierie had been doing a lot towards letting the humans know of muse existence, working with someone called Kaho Bijou, a muse down on Earth.

But, for now, all three were on holiday; meeting their niece properly at long last.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"My…family?"

"Right." The woman smiled. "I'm Emerald, that's Opal, and that's Ruby. We we're your mother's sisters."

"Half-sisters, technically, on her mother's side." Ruby added, kindly. "But we never saw it like that. We've been waiting quite a while for you to find out what your mother was, what you are. We weren't sure you'd be able to ever see us in this form."

"I…don't understand…" She mumbled. The words and stories contained in the letter were coming back to her. But it just wasn't possible. Wouldn't someone have told her? But it wasn't possible. Was it?

"There's muse in you." Opal stated, in her matter of fact way. "A quarter."

"How…can I… it's…"

"Maya." Michael begged at her side, shaking her shoulder. He spoke more, but she ignored him.

"Your mother was very important to us, Maya." Emerald said, quietly. "We've been waiting a long time to speak to you. You got your wings out… you flew, which is meant to be impossible… you must know what Azreal was."

"My mother…?"

"Azreal was what we called her, her muse name." Ruby supplied. "But we can talk later. For now, you'd be better off getting some sleep. And…" She smiled. "I think your friend is worried. He can't see us, after all."

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Michael couldn't cope with this anymore, couldn't stand to see her this way, talking to people that weren't there. Her delirium terrified him as much as the inexplicable flight they'd taken. He didn't understand, but it seemed unimportant as Maya's delusions continued.

"I… don't understand…" She was saying, voice heavy, as though she was struggling to push the words out towards the trees on her other side. "How… can I… it's…"

"Maya." Michael said, begged, shaking her shoulder. Still, she lay with her back to him. "Maya, come on, there's no-one there."

"My mother…?" She whispered.

Michael swallowed, and then shuffled around, kneeling in front of her face. Her eyes did not flick to his, moving instead to one side. "Maya… there's no-one there. Please, look at me, Maya."

"My mother…" She said again, in the same tone of confusion, her eyes half shut again. Michael felt her forehead, and it was as hot and sweaty as ever. He felt ridiculously frightened; it was almost like when he was just a kid and Wren had been taken into hospital very suddenly. He couldn't imagine a future where she wouldn't survive, but at the moment, he couldn't imagine anything else.

"Maya, your mother is dead!" He said, and asked again. "Come on, Maya, look at me. I'm here. No-one else… Just me, and Tomasu. But no-one else. So look at me."

She finally did, as if seeing him for the first time. "…Can't you see them?" She whispered.

"There's no-one to see, Maya. So just look at me." Michael answered, trying to keep his voice strong. She just stared at him in bleary confusion.

"Here." Michael was startled by Tomasu's sudden presence. He'd returned, some form of damp cloth in his hand, torn from his clothes. He'd found a cool stream nearby, and although it had tasted salty and they could not drink, it would at least be enough to cool a fever; he hoped. He had never been in a situation like this before, and unsure of the proper action to take, he placed it on Maya's forehead. Her gaze was slipping to one side again, she didn't seem to be paying attention at all, as if listening to someone else talk, though they both kept muttering encouraging things to her. Finally, her eyes flittered back to Michael's face again, and she smiled a little.

"I…believe them…" She mumbled to him, and suddenly, from nowhere, he felt a light pressure brush against his arm. He jolted, and turned his head, and for a moment thought there really _was _someone, a slight haze, or some people, huddled next to him; but he blinked and they were gone, and Maya had fallen into a silent sleep.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_Ruby, Emerald and Opal hadn't seen much of their mother for the first eight years of their lives. In fact, for all of their living memory, they'd grown up with their grandmother. But they didn't mind. Their mother was on an important job, they were told, that was taking a very long time; so they were content with the rare visits. _

_But now, today, their mother was coming home; after six long years, and at least three since they had last seen her. They weren't nervous, of course, the idea that someone could not love them was still foreign to them. Millierie didn't know this, and when she ran and hugged her girls, she was terrified of being pushed away. However, they seemed happy to see her, and she was glad. So glad._

_"Why is there a girl behind your legs?" Opal enquired, simply. _

_"Is she shy?" Emerald asked._

_"A little, I think." Millierie smiled as best she could, and took her youngest daughter's wrist. "Azreal, come out here. These are the girls I told you about."_

_"Who is she, mom?" Ruby asked. _

_"She's your little sister; she's going to be living with us too."_

_"Can she talk?" Opal asked, staring at the new arrival. _

_"Yes!" The little one protested. "I can, I can talk, talk a lot!"_

_"And fast." Ruby laughed, and the little girl laughed uncertainly too._

_"Well, hello then, Azreal." Emerald said, solemnly._

_Azreal just looked quizzically up at her mother. "She got my name wrong, 'cause my name's not Azreal, it's Anna Rhapsody Mitsan and she called me Azreal, didn't she?"_

_"I told you, duckie, your name _is _Azreal now."_

_The little girl was silent for a moment, but then nodded. "Okay."_

_"Good girl. Now, why don't you girls go and play while I talk to your grandmother?"_

_"Okay." Ruby said, and turned to her two counterparts. "Let's go play hide-and-seek in the metals!" They began to leave when she remembered, and turned back to the little girl who standing there uncertainly. "Do _you _know how to play?" She demanded._

_Azreal nodded furiously._

_"Can you count?"_

_More nods. Then, sounding slightly ashamed, Azreal added "Only I get all mixed up after twenty."_

_"You'd better just hide, then." Ruby shrugged._

_Emerald took her hand and smiled at her new younger sister. "We play on this old strip that isn't used anymore. I'll show you- it's our secret place, but as you're a Kiyoko now, I think it's okay."_

_Those were important words, words of belonging. She was a Kiyoko now._

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"_This better be good…" Ruby grumbled as she stepped through the other end of the Vortex, sopping wet. "I had to jump through a Venetian Canal to get here, and now-" Her complaints were stopped dead in their tracks as she saw the scene in front of her. "Lira…?"_

_His eyes snapped open as she came and knelt next to him. "Ruby?"_

_"What have you done to yourself?" She asked, horrified._

_"Ruby!" He cried desperately. He knew he had only seconds before he died. He had to tell her, or he'd be trapped. "Ruby! Ruby, Ruby Ruby… I love you. I just realised… I love you…"_

_Ruby stared at him. "I'm sorry." She said, turning away. "I heard that too many times before, and it was always a lie, Lira. I can't believe you…"_

_Lira didn't care. He'd told her. But he still had to ask. "Do you love me?"_

_"I did." _

_"Then… Do you hate me?"_

_"…I did."_

_"Good…" Lira sighed. "That's good…" His eyes closed. "It's still not taking me, is it…? My soul will be trapped…"_

_"You have to tell us how to get out of this dome." Azreal said, coming close again. "You have to tell us how to get out, and why we're here, and what we have to do…"_

_"Up." Lira said simply. "Up. Upupupupupupupupup…" He smirked, a shadow of his former self. "The rest you do, lazy." His eyes closed for the last time._

_Azreal sucked in a breath. Had they made it in time?_

_Yes. They were forced to cover their eyes as the white tendrils snaked with impossible power up his legs, over his body, before exploding into a large flash of light and then dying down into a gentle glow where you could just make out the body dissolving._

_Lira Klio had made it into the Nothing. It was more then he deserved._

_Azreal went over to her sister, both of them crying without really knowing why._

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"_I have to go."_

_She sighed. "I know. Valour and Honour, right?"_

_"Exactly." He smiled._

_Opal snorted, trailing her fingers under the trickle of water from the fountain, sparkling in the star light. They were sitting on the stone edge of the fountain right in the centre of Wherever, where they had been so many times, and she had just heard something she'd really rather not. "You are… incredibly stupid, Jay."_

_"What, worried I'll die on you?" He smirked._

_"Of course." She admitted. "You'll never make it down to check the pump. You know as well as I do that, even with the best protective gear, you'll be dissolved before you even get close. The Nothing is at a height and strength unlike any we've ever seen before." She sighed ruthlessly. "I'd ask you to see sense, but I know you won't."_

_"Hey…" He said, grabbing her hand. She still didn't look at him, so he tried to improve the mood. "It's times like this you wish I'd come to work for your mother rather then joining the council, right?"_

_"There's never a moment when I don't." Opal sniped, still looking down. Due to the need to float, all the cities were more or less doughnut shaped, the levels getting smaller as you got closer to the top. You couldn't really tell there was a hole in the middle though, due to all the bridges and platforms that had been placed across as they went along. This wasn't really a very good idea, as the whole principal of the thing was that the light would get to a level through the hole in the level above. The new government had reinstated this, spending a lot of money to convert everything across the centre into glass. But that was when this particular party had just been voted in, was new and remembered what they stood for… "I think you're the only one who _isn't_ corrupt."_

_"Which is why they need me to lead these men." Jay said, gently._

_"To their deaths!"_

_"Perhaps." He admitted. "Look, Opal… The reason I didn't become a Muse was… because I was scared."_

_Opal looked at him in surprise. She didn't think he would ever be afraid of anything._

_"Heh." He sighed. "I have a great respect for you guys. I could never go down to Earth like you do. What if you get stranded, or lose your powers or…" He laughed. "But this is my one chance, Opal, to be brave. Be a hero. Don't you see?"_

_"I can't change your mind." She sniffed, pulling away. "So… good luck. Now, go!"_

_He stood, needing to head back and prepare for their leaving in the morning. "I'll be back, I promise."_

_"Just go, Jay. I'll see you soon."_

_As he turned and walked away, Opal felt her heart stretched with him. Somehow, she knew she would never see him again._

_Because some promises just can't be kept, no matter how much you want them to be._

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Sometimes, it seemed to Emerald, that Azreal had been born the most unfortunate of them all. Sometimes it seemed that, despite this, Azreal had died the happiest. She had died too young, too soon, when there was nothing but happiness in her future; because there had been too much sadness in her past. But she had loved, and lived, and brought her beautiful daughter into the world. Maybe she had lived in obscurity, away from her home town where she had eventually become a hero, but to Emerald it seemed she had worked it out better then the three of them. They were all successful, very successful, with purpose and happiness, yes; but they were all lacking in that most essential of things- a partner. When they had taken human form for a while to watch Azreal say her vows, Emerald had realised that to have someone to love and honour and respect and cherish as long as you lived was a good thing to have.

And they did not.

Ruby had dated over the years, but after Lira had died so horribly, and how he had hurt her, it seemed she was afraid. She held back. And Opal, well, she had only ever had one boyfriend, and that was a councillor named Jay who had died in the near-fall of Wherever. And as for herself… Well. She had never got very far either.

That didn't mean Emerald was unhappy. None of them were; they all had a purpose and joy in their lives, in fact. Yet it seemed love was the most noble of purposes, and so she tried to keep her heart full with it. Not true love, between a couple, but the love for all of humanity and all living things that gave her joy.

That day, she had met her niece, Azreal's daughter, for the first time. They hadn't managed to while Az was alive and once she was dead they simply couldn't. But now, she could feel the need and the necessity of looking after the girl, or the woman, who slept fitfully next to them. She'd done well, to get her wings out- it had been quite a strain. She probably could not have done it this time had it not been for new sections of her brain opening up, new DNA waking up, and the emotional complexities that came with these revelations. She would probably never do it again. But, Emerald was glad to see, Maya still held an envelope in her hand that seemed to hold a single black feather, just poking out, and a letter. She hoped she would never let go of them.

But, for now, she needed to sleep; and it was time for her aunties to leave. She was not alone, after all, with that nice blond boy with her, and the darker one too.

Love, after all, was a noble pursuit; but it was a road that could only be walked in twos.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

_Anna was flicking through the free local newspaper one morning, about to use it to make a paper maché golden calf (It was a long story) when she spotted an article that made her blink slightly, and shriek loudly. She was re-reading the article with some surprise when Seto entered at speed._

"_Az! What's wrong, what's happened?!" He demanded. _

"_I need to phone Kaho!" She informed him, happily, and then picked up the phone. Rolling his eyes, Seto returned upstairs, grumbling about her over-dramatics scaring him all the time. Kaho, however, took a long time to answer._

_"Hello?"_

_"Kaho!" Anna didn't waste time on something as silly as greetings when there was news like this. "Congratulations! I think you'll win the 'Weirdest Match Ever' award, but still, good for you!"_

_"Oh, Ann, thank you…" Kaho sounded slightly confused. "But, um, I don't suppose you could explain what you're congratulating me for, could you?" _

_"…Are you trying to be funny?! Come on, I'm your age-old best friend and ex-roommate, I need all the details!"_

_"Ann…" Kaho answered, slowly. There was definitely something strange going on this morning. Today, she was working from home, and had already received calls from three separate gossip columnists. None of them had felt the need to tell her what she had supposedly done of interest or how they had got her number, and she felt it was wiser not to ask. Just to say she could not comment at this time and hope someone would call to enlighten her. This was the reason she eventually picked up the phone for Anna, and now she could only hope for some answers. "Please. I honestly don't know what I've done that's so exciting to everyone, or what everyone knows that I don't."_

_"Sorry, I'm just romance-starved. Honestly, eighteen months of marriage and it's all gone, you want to watch out." Anna joked._

_"No, Ann, _seriously_…" Kaho was beginning to get a bad feeling about all this. "What have I done worthy of congratulations?"_

_"…You're serious, aren't you?" Anna suddenly gave an awkward cough. "Um… your announcement? In the paper?"_

_"What announcement? What paper?"_

_"Oh, man… The free one you get in the post. Page thirty-two. I was just about to cover it in paste and make it into a nostril."_

_"Pardon?"_

_"Just look."_

_Kaho had already disposed of the free newspaper, as it covered only the local news and covered it badly. However, she dutifully pulled it out of waste-paper basket, and turned to the slightly crumpled page thirty-two. It turned out to be, as she had half expected, to be the gossip page. Underneath the regular pictures of local celebrities, like the lead singer of a band that had once supported the Proclaimers, and the strange man that climbed another object each week, there was a picture of herself and Duke. This was not unusual in itself, as such. Like Seto, Duke's status as an attractive, wealthy business man; who had been in business since he was a teenager and a child gaming prodigy, he appeared whenever he did something interesting, and at those times Kaho was often with him. She and Ann; and Téa too, they were all in the same boat, really. The girlfriend- or, in Ann's case, wife- of someone vaguely famous. Joey had a certain amount of following too, but Mai was well known enough by her own merit. _

_Anyway. Reading the small article, Kaho just had time to wonder what Duke had done now when she got through the first sentence._

_Apparently, she was now engaged._

_Breathing very slowly and deliberately, she managed to find her voice. "Ann? Can I call you back?"_

_"Sure. Um… good luck."_

_Kaho hung up, and dialled her boyfriend's number._

_"Kaho! Hi!"_

_"Duke. Have you seen the paper this morning?"_

_"What? No, I haven't… I haven't had chance to buy one yet. I got that stupid free one-"_

_"That's the one. Page thirty-two, if you please."_

_"What are you…?" Duke trailed off. "Oh."_

_"You didn't place it?" Kaho asked, calmly._

_"No, I did not! Kaho, honey, honestly, do you think I would presume that you'd marry me before even asking you?! I'll call the paper, get a retraction, okay?"_

_To his surprise, she was laughing._

_"Oh, so that's how it is…?"_

_"Kaho?"_

_"Sorry… it just seemed _exactly _the sort of stunt you'd pull…" She giggled happily to herself, then pulled herself together. "So."_

_"So?"_

_"What now?"_

_Duke felt his pulse rate increase. "What do you mean, what now?"_

_"Well, it's going to look awfully strange if you now announce we're not getting married after all."_

_"But I didn't announce it to begin with! And what else- Ah."_

_"Ah." Kaho agreed, and he could hear the smile in her voice._

_"Oh, I get… I mean…" For once in his life, Duke was at a loss for words. Yes, he'd been in a relationship with Kaho for a long time now, he was happy, and had he been asked he'd probably have said he'd propose _one day. _But he hadn't really thought about it. The prospect of marriage was… "Do you… think we should?"_

_"Well," Kaho said, quite reasonably. "I can't imagine myself with anyone else, and we'll never bother otherwise. We might as well."_

_"We might as well." Duke echoed, numbly, and then he chuckled. "You are totally unlike every single other woman I have ever met, Kaho."_

_"I know. I'm a muse, remember?"_

_"Too true. Well. Right then. Shall I…?"_

_Kaho said nothing._

_"Okay." Duke grinned cockily, reminding himself mentally who he was. Duke Devlin, confident, rich, and Kaho's long-time boyfriend. "Kaho Bijou, will you do me the honour of following the advice given in the Domino Standard and marry me…" He glanced back at the article. "In May?"_

_"I'd be delighted." She answered._

_Silence._

_Then, suddenly, they both started laughing._

_"Ann said we'd be the weirdest match ever." Kaho commented._

_Duke snorted. "And what about her and Kaiba?" For some reason, he couldn't stop smiling. "…Kaho, I love you."_

_"You too."_

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

"It's been a while…" Tomasu muttered in concern. Michael nodded, still feeling a little useless. Night was falling, and Maya was still asleep. Nor was Yami back yet. Surely, they'd been missed by the teachers by now. Sure, they'd set up a fire; and at least Maya was no longer talking to people that weren't actually there; but Michael would rather have liked to have known what was in that letter still clenched tight in her hand, what it was that had enabled her to apparently fly. It wasn't natural. It was getting dark, Yami had disappeared, and he was scared of this new unknown world. He couldn't stop thinking of those stories Yami's father had told them as kids, the fairy stories of shadow magicks and of people losing their souls. The idea scared him now, because, with Maya lying so quietly on the floor, it seemed a lot more real. He so wanted her to be okay. He'd never apologised for letting Asuka manipulate him. Nor had he, until now, realised what meant the most to him.

"I'm going to go look for her." Tomasu decided, standing up. For a stupid moment, Michael thought he meant for Maya. Then he remembered Yami. "Will you guys be okay here?"

Michael nodded. He could have insisted on going instead- after all, they were lost enough already without Tomasu's sense of direction- but he wanted to stay. Just for once, he would let himself be selfish. And stay.

Tomasu disappeared into the dusk and the cold began to close in. Michael never had liked the dark much, but knew the only thing to be scared of was if Maya's strange sleep never ended. Now there was nothing to do but watch that suddenly pathetic fire burn out, and wait for the others. He couldn't leave Maya, nor move her with any grace on his own. Just wanting to do something, he covered her with his jacket; not knowing if the gesture was worth a thing. He sat there a little longer, just thinking. The night was still, silent. He wasn't used to silence. In his house, there was always, always noise; there was always someone around. Not here. He felt alone, under the cold navy sky. It was beautiful, that blue; but eternal, and far away. Detached.

A movement.

He turned as Maya shuffled again and slowly sat up, looking first at his jacket, then around at her surroundings in disorientated confusion. Then she saw him, and swallowed. She had some explaining to do, but she still felt light headed, still did not understand herself, not really.

"I-"

Michael's voice suddenly returned to him. Hardly thinking, he went to her, held her close. "I'm so glad you're alright…" He whispered, and kissed her.

Maya was surprised by this, she had to admit. She didn't know what had gotten into him. She hadn't even thought he liked her, or vice versa. But now… The warmth of him next to her, and his lips on hers, it felt right, and safe- safe like a rollercoaster is safe; the danger removed but the excitement all the same. Her heart seemed to be beating and beating but somewhere up in her throat, and she was too shocked to react much, and she just had time and space to wonder vaguely if this was how her mother and father had felt; but then there was no more room for thought. It felt good. And then he came back to himself and pulled away.

"Oh crap…" He muttered, going red. "Oh crap. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to just-!"

"Talking's no good." Maya replied, and pulled his face back down to hers.

It had been a rather confusing day. But maybe not in a bad way.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

When I'm feeling weak  
And my pain walks down a one way street  
I look above  
And I know I'll always be blessed with love…

_"Yes?"_

_"Seto…?" Her heart was in her mouth as Seto glowered down at her. "Do you… do you remember me?"_

_Seto's eye widened a little as she spoke, recognizing the voice, then, with a lot more audacity then he'd ever had before, he leant down and kissed her._

And as the feeling grows  
She breathes flesh to my bones  
And when love is dead  
I'm loving angels instead

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Tomasu had left Michael behind with Maya. He was slightly concerned at this, but reasoned Michael could take care of things. And he needed to find Yami. She'd been gone too long, and in this, the thick, dense forest on the uncharted side of the island…

He had to find her.

There wasn't much moonlight that night, and the sun had disappeared by now. The only way he could navigate at all was by the most obvious disturbances Yami had left in the thick undergrowth. Broken twigs and squashed grasses, half-footprints in the pine needles. Quite suddenly, without any particular thinning out, the forest came to an abrupt end; and he found himself looking across the island at the long flight of stone steps to the castle.

There was no choice, he would have to head there. No-one had noticed he was not one of the students yet, maybe they wouldn't now, or else he would just have to reveal himself. They had to help Maya; and find Yami. He ran towards it, his body somehow running on energy supplies that had been exhausted, clothes wet and chilled on cool skin. He ascended the steps, and as he reached the entrance, found Yami sat on one of the stone walls that ran up to the entrance. She smiled at him.

"Come and sit down, you look worn out."

He didn't.

"Come on, Tomasu! The stars are lovely tonight." She sounded a little wistful.

Slowly, Tomasu joined her, glancing upwards. "I guess they are."

"I'd like to see them at sea." She said, suddenly. "Where there's just the water and the stars, and nothing to interrupt the view… I bet it's beautiful."

"It is." He agreed, and then snapped himself back to the point, and away from his friend in the moonlight. "Um, Yami, did you get any help…?"

"No." She waved a hand lightly. "They don't need it. I just covered up for them with the teachers. They'll make it back okay."

"But… Maya… why?"

"Maya's fine. She just needs to sleep a little." Yami grinned serenely. "And then I thought she and Michael… might want some time together."

Unwillingly, Tomasu laughed. "You are unbelievable!"

"This whole evening's been pretty unbelievable." She answered, quietly, sounding troubled. "Did you see her wings?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, good," She brightened immediately. "I'm glad it wasn't just me!"

"Um…"

"I guess, then, it means my dad's stories about Shadow Magic and all that _might _have some basis after all…" She chewed her lip thoughtfully, but as she looked back up towards the night sky her face relaxed. "But, we can think about all that later. For now… Let's just enjoy the stars."

And so, they sat, occasionally talking, sometimes silent. It was special, and, for some reason, they did not notice the cold.

Yugi had always told his daughter stories of the memories the island held for him, the special times and the adventures, the bad moments; and the perfect ones.

This night, in the same place, was Yami's perfect moment. They sat together a long time, until Maya and Michael arrived in the early hours of the morning, and by the time the two girls crept into their bedroom, they had both received their first kiss.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

A/N: D'you know what? No Seto/Az goodness in this one. _(Sighs) _But, but, there was Michael/Maya-Yami/Tomasu goodness, ne, ne?! At last. XD So, next time, there will be plenty of Seto/Az for you… is it just possible he regrets being so distant? Why is it that Maya has that nightmare, that fear of small, dark, spaces? Why did Seto never tell her about her mother? And what will happen when Maya attends Wren Wheeler's birthday party? Reflections abound in **Fall or Fly Chapter Seven: Sin**…


End file.
